Under the Streets of Russia
by DarkWolf88
Summary: Kai Hiwatari is forced to fight for his life in underground fighting rings. One night, Kai runs into an old friend when the police show up during a fight....Hilary. Boris ends up capturing her, and now she is forced to watch Kai suffer. Will she be able t
1. Default Chapter

Summary: Kai Hiwatari is forced to fight for his life in underground fighting rings. One night, Kai runs into an old friend when the police show up during a fight....Hilary. Boris ends up capturing her, and now she is forced to watch Kai suffer. Will she be able to free him?  
  
I got this idea when I was baby-sitting my neighbor's kids....and watching them play Super Smash Brothers Melee on their GameCube....I know...it's sad! But I tell you...that game does something to you when you watch it for 3 hours straight!  
This MIGHT be a Kai/Hilary story....but I'm not sure yet. It has plenty of Kai bashing/angst...all that good stuff.  
It's going to suck...but oh well...I'm posting it anyway.

Chapter 1  
  
_A different world hides under the streets of Russia. A world were darkness is one's best friend, and greatest enemy. But among the darkness....a different threat lurks about. Under the snow covered streets, underground fighting rings reign supreme. Those involved are people from all ages, and countries. Most of these people are like slaves...forced to fight for their lives so that their masters might get rich off their skills. Like dogs, these people are kept in cages, and left in the shadows. Most die from hunger and malnutrition if not from their injuries.  
Yet there are the fools of the earth that put their own lives at risk just for the sake of money. These people are free, they have no 'master'. They are skilled in the art of fighting, and stake it all on gambling.  
The number of these fights have dwindled in the past years, most being stopped by police. That is why there are so few of these prized fighters left. Many are caught by the authorities, and either being free or captive, they are thrown in prison, or die in hospitals.  
A fighter by the name Kai Hiwatari has grown up in this world, forced to fight for his life since he was small. At the current age of 18, he has made his captor incredibly happy...not to mention rich.  
The evil man...Boris Balkov...is known for his prized fighter, yet it is unknown how the teen survives. Boris owns many fighters, most of which have died in the ring...but this young boy still finds a way to live. He is also one of the few that always escapes the police, making this man incredibly dangerous.  
_  
"I said fight damnit!" A dark voice sounded above the mad cheers of the crowd.  
A blue haired teen stood motionless in the center of the ring, taking every blow his opponent gave him.  
"Come on! I wanted to fight the great Hiwatari!" The man bellowed, repositioning himself in a defensive stance.  
The teen just stood in place, his face cast down at his bare, dirty feet. Suddenly, crimson eyes looked upward, only to be greeted with a pair of glowing lenses in the dim twilight of the cavern. He knew that stare well...and knew he had to finish this fight.  
"I'm....sorry...." The teen's worn out voice croaked.  
"What was that?" The older man's gaze narrowed.  
Suddenly, before the man could blink, the blue haired teen charged at him, sending him to the floor with one strong punch to the face.  
The majority of the crowd cheered, while others sulked slightly.  
"Thank you! Thank you!" Kai could hear Boris as he collected money from the spectators.  
With a sigh, the teen turned, picked up his worn shirt off the railing and limped out of the arena.  
Two strong arms grabbed the teen's body and held him steady as Boris made his way toward them, his long, dark trench coat flowing behind him.  
"Another job well done young Kai." The elder Russian took the teen's chin in his hand.  
Crimson eyes stared back lifelessly. These same eyes once held a fire of strength and determination, but that fire had long since faded.  
Suddenly, shouts and screams were heard from deep within the cavern, and people began to run in all directions.  
Boris cursed. "Let's get out of here!"  
The police had arrived to break up this night's events.  
Kai ran in a different direction from his captor, but knew he wouldn't get away from him. He held a collar around his neck, made of a strong metal that couldn't be unlocked. This collar tracked him step for step, so no matter how far he got, Boris would always find him.  
The blue haired teen climbed a latter up toward the surface, struggling slightly as he lifted the manhole cover.  
Carefully, he climbed out and stood in an alleyway. He cautiously peered around the corner of the building, looking for any signs of the authorities. If he got caught by them, he would surely die.  
After he was sure it was clear, Kai darted onto the sidewalk, heading toward a black van in the distance.  
Suddenly, he crashed into something and fell back against the pavement.  
"Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you alri......" The voice stopped, gasping at the figure on the ground.  
Kai stared at the stranger for a moment. Suddenly, his eyes went wide.  
"K...Kai?!" The voice obviously belonged to a female.  
The blue haired teen tried to move away, but it was too late. The stranger was at his side, helping him sit up.  
"Oh my God Kai! What happened to you?!"  
"Hil....Hilary?" His voice cracked slightly.  
The girl stared into his lifeless eyes. Immediately, she felt tears pull at the corners of her ruby orbs as she stared at her old friend.  
"What's happened to you?"  
Suddenly, the two were pulled off the ground.  
"Over here sir!" A gruff voice called.  
Boris appeared in front of the two teens. "Well well well....I see you've run into an old friend young Kai."  
"What should we do with her?"  
"Take her with us...she'll come in handy when Kai decides he doesn't want to fight."  
The two gasped, Kai's head snapping up to glare at the evil Russian....he knew what he was planning.  
The two teens were thrown into a black van, which sped off toward the outskirts of town.

yeah.....I probably wasted my time posting this....but oh well please review and tell me if I should continue wasting my time


	2. Chapter 2

Hey people.  
Thanks for all the great reviews!  
I'm pleased to know that everyone seemed to like the idea of this story....hopefully I won't disappoint you in continuing it.  
I currently am in my apathetic mood today....and yeah...I'm not really going to talk about it, but maybe it'll explain why this chapter is so dang horrible!  
I always like the first chapter...kindof.....then it just goes down hill from there....sorry.  
Anyway...here's the continuation.

Hilary moaned as she came to. She grimaced as a dull throbbing pain ran through her head. Placing her hand to her temple, she sat up, waiting for the fog around her vision to clear.  
She found herself behind iron bars in a small cell. She looked around her surroundings, only to find cold, stone walls on each side. "You're awake...." A lifeless voice sounded nearby, drawing her attention outside of the bars.  
Across a narrow hallway, another cell stood directly in front of hers. Inside, a pale light flickered upon a thin body, seated motionlessly on the floor, slightly propped upward against the wall. A shallow bowl sat in one corner near bare feet, while a mound of what looked like straw sat toward the back, a small blanket on top.  
It reminded her of a dog kennel, but the ones she had seen were a lot nicer than this.  
"Kai? Is that you?" She asked, unsure.  
The figure moved slightly, so that's it's face was in the light.  
"Why did you come?"  
"Kai!" She gasped. After all this time....he was still alive! She was relieved, but her heart throbbed with pain in each passing beat as she stared at her friend.  
He was in terrible shape. His blue hair was tangled and limp, and the shine had completely vanished. His face was rough and dirty, small scars and cuts still visible against his abnormally pale skin. He obviously hadn't seen the light of day in a long time.  
His eyes were lifeless....and Hilary noticed that the fire she had once so admired had fizzled out. The only thing still recognizable about him was those four blue triangles, tattooed against his cheeks.  
Her eyes continued downward towards his chest, where a ragged old shirt hung limply over his shoulders. It was once a light color, with buttons running down the middle, but they had been long since ripped out, leaving his bared chest exposed, and the fabric stained from blood and dirt.  
She happened to notice that two cobalt blue stripes had been tattooed over his shoulders, curving to almost touch in the center of his chest. Matching stripes also came up from his hips and met over his navel. Hilary's ruby eyes widened as more cuts and scars decorated his torso.  
He wore a pair of old jeans, torn nearly to shreds. A familiar belt held them on his hips, but they were obviously too big for the teen.  
"What have they done to you Kai?" She felt herself starting to cry again.  
The teen shifted his weight slightly.  
"Why did you come?" He asked again.  
"We....we were worried about you Kai! Everyone said you were dead, but we refused to believe it!"  
"We?"  
"Tyson, Rei, Kenny, Max and myself! We've spent years looking for you Kai! We've just about given up hope!" Hot tears trickled down the sides of her face.  
Kai stared curiously at her.  
"The others are here too?"  
The brunette nodded silently.  
Kai cursed out loud.  
"We didn't know you would be here....we were here on a beyblade tour..."  
The older teen gasped. "Bey...blade..." He hadn't heard that word in so long, he was sure he had forgotten it. The corner of his mouth cracked upward into a smirk.  
"I nearly forgotten....." He winced slightly, his left hand traveling up to his side.  
Hilary crawled closer to the bars when suddenly, there was a loud slam from down the hallway, and a new figure appeared.  
Shouts of different prisoners rang throughout the area, arms waving about through the iron bars.  
Hilary hadn't even known that other people were in here. She looked over at Kai, who hadn't moved. It was like his soul had left his body, and he was just an empty shell.  
The brunette gasped as a figure appeared in front of her, opening the door and pulling her to her feet.  
"Let me go!" She commanded, twisting in her captor's grip.  
"Feisty, aren't we?" A dark voice chuckled.  
Hilary looked up only to be greeted with Boris's evil face.  
He turned her to face Kai before he began to speak.  
"He was once like that as well....but I broke him as you can see. He is no longer the Kai you once knew."  
Hilary choked back more tears as Kai refused to move, or show any sign of life.  
Suddenly, she was pushed forward and marched into another room.  
Inside, the walls were a rich color, expensive fabric hanging down from tall windows. The furniture was large and plush, crafted with dark, polished wood and imported fabrics.  
The purple haired Russian took his seat behind a huge oak desk and motioned to an empty chair for Hilary to sit in.  
The brunette refused, staring at the man in front of her with stubborn eyes, burning with hatred for what he had done.  
"If you wish to be that way....." Boris started.  
"What do you want with me?" Hilary demanded to know, narrowing her eyes at the Russian.  
"It's quiet simple really....you've made my life easier without even trying."  
Hilary's gaze narrowed even more, willing Boris to elaborate.  
"Kai has grown weary of fighting, and almost forced me to take desperate measures....but you just walked right in. I now not need to waste valuable time I desperately need trying to find a member of his old 'team'. He dare not risk your safety."  
The brunette gasped. "You mean.....you'll hurt me if he doesn't do what you want?!" The Russian chuckled, a smirk creeping up on his face. "You're very bright my dear."  
"You....you monster!" She shouted, balling her hands into fists and rushing at the man.  
With an amused laugh, Boris held her back with one hand as she tried to land a blow on him, but he was much too big and powerful for her.  
With a simple push, she was flat on the ground, staring up into the dark eyes of her captor.  
Boris now stood directly above the brunette, staring down at her with a sickening smirk. He snapped his fingers, and moments later two large doors at the opposite end of the room swung open.  
Hilary gasped as she saw Kai being ushered inside, a guard holding a chain that connected to the glossy crimson collar around his neck and standing a safe distance behind him.  
Kai's eyes flashed slightly and widened at the sight of his old friend on the ground, but they quickly went back to their hollow glow.  
Hilary noticed his breathing picked up slightly, and knew something was brewing deep with in him.  
The blue haired teen took a step forward, taking a moment to balance himself once his bare foot landed on the ground.  
"Now young Kai...would you like to explain to me why you refused to defeat your enemy until the last minute?" Boris asked, leaving the brunette and walking over to the still teen.  
His eyelids fell half way, nearly closing completely for a minute. Suddenly, the shot open in a fierce glare, surprising the older Russian.  
"Don't look at me like that!" He growled, sending Kai to the ground in one swift blow.  
The teen's body bounced once before falling silent against the plush carpet of the luxurious room.  
"AUGH!" He cried out and Boris planted his boot deep inside a hidden gash in Kai's side.  
The teen rolled over onto his stomach, wheezing for breath.  
"You wouldn't have gotten that wound if you did what I had told you to in the first place!" Boris bellowed.  
He raised his arm for another blow.  
"STOP!" A voice cried out.  
Hilary appeared in front of Kai. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close to her.  
"Please stop! I'll do anything you want, just please! Don't hurt him!" The brunette cried, clinging to Kai's pained body.  
"Oh don't worry my dear....you need not do anything at all."  
-  
please review!  
Sorry for the horrible chapter...I'll try to make it better next time okay?


	3. Deep in Shadows

Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait...school's cramping my style.  
anyway....thanks for all the wonderful reviews!  
Special thanks to the following people:  
  
**Dancing Wolf** - Thanks for the comment! Yeah...sorry about that. When I posted my other stories a while ago, spaces came up like that...but for some reason, it stopped doing that...I guess. I'll have to try and remember to do it myself now. Hehe thanks for pointing that out to me! I would've never noticed!  
**Shiko** - I'm really considering making this a Kai/Hil fic...I'll probably announce my decision next chapter. Oh! And about Kai's beyblade...you'll find out soon...I promise. Droopy1389 - Oh don't worry...there will be PLENTY of Kai action! I swear on my life! maniacal laughter  
**mystic-water** - Oo wow....thanks alot! I'm glad you like this story! I won't stop writing as long as people keep reviewing!  
**PhoenixRoar** - Heh...thanks! Someone MUST be paying you to say that though lol! But anyway... thanks for being a loyal reviewer!  
**Eyriess** - heh...thanks! When you say WAY-and-OUT-OF-MOST-PEOPLE'S-IMAGINATOINS...is that a good thing? lol! Thanks for adding me to your favs!  
  
Now...on with the story!  
-------------------------  
  
It had been a day and a half since Hilary was taken off the streets and brought into an underground world of sorrow.  
Another fighting match was tomorrow night...and the dank tunnels seemed to be full of more life.

"I wonder what Tyson and the others are up to....do they know I'm gone?"

The brunette thought to herself, bringing her knees to her chest in a vain effort to stay warm. There was short scream from outside, and then a loud crashing sound. Hilary stood up and rushed to the door, pressing her ear against the aged wood.

Whatever it was, it had stopped now.

The brunette sighed and turned around.

She had been confined in what looked to be a library for the time being. She walked over to a large bookcase and scanned the spines of the various books.

She stopped at something wedged between two old books, and cocked her head in curiosity. "What's this? It's definitely not a book!" She told herself, reaching out to it.

With a few tugs, the object came free, and Hilary sat down on the floor to examine it. It was a folder, and inside contained pictures and documents, all pertaining to one person.

Hilary gasped as she looked through the pictures. They were all of Kai!

She stared at each one of them in fascination. The pictures documented just about everything Kai does for a day. There were pictures of him walking out of a school building, his green jacket thrown over his shoulders and his eyes looking off to his right. Another one was of him buying food from a store.

Hilary noticed that in every single picture, Kai was looking around his surroundings, as if he had suspected someone was following him.

The brunette smiled sadly, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she continued to examine the pictures. Kai had completely changed from the teenager he had been 3 years ago. It was almost as if his soul had left his body behind, and all that remained was a hollow shell, not capable of happiness or pleasure, but only feeling pain.

A loud sound cracked in the hallway, causing the girl to jump up from her seat in surprise. Quickly, she scooped the pictures and papers back into the folder and stuffed it in between the books she had found it in.

There was another snap, and then a cry of pain.  
Hilary winced as the sounds continued for a few more minutes, and finally, they stopped.

Making her way cautiously to the door, she cracked it open slightly and peered out.  
The guard that once stood there had vanished, so Hilary stepped into the hallway.

"Now's my chance to try and get out of here....but I have to find Kai first!" She told herself. The brunette walked off to her left, down a dark and cold hallway, hoping it would lead her to Kai.  
  
After what seemed like forever, Hilary walked into a new hallway, this one with glass doors separating the hall from cell like rooms.

Immediately, a horrible feeling was conjured up in her stomach, and fear raced through her mind. She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"I have to be brave here....no matter what it feels like....Kai needs to get help!" She told herself.

The brunette began to proceed down the hall, passing each cell slowly and examining the contents. 

She came to an occupied cell. A figure threw himself against the wall, starling Hilary as she treaded cautiously through the hallway.

She pivoted to her left, just in time to see a large man run straight into the glass wall that held him captive for a second time. He let out a terrible scream, which was slightly muffled through the thick glass. He disappeared in the shadows for a short time before hurling himself at the impenetrable wall yet again.

In a defeated cry, the man fell to the ground in a heap and let his tears run free.

Hilary grabbed at her heart, her emotions running high, and took a few steps backward, only to run into another wall.

"The absence of light does things to people...it changes them. You should escape while you have the chance."

The brunette jumped at the sudden voice, spinning around and peering in the cell she had backed in to.

A figure laid on a small cot, his arm dragging on the cold ground. Spikes of blue hair stuck up at all angles around his head, making him easily recognizable to the brunette.

"Kai!" She exclaimed, pounding against the glass. "Are you alright?!"  
She scanned her surroundings for something to open up the cell, and found a small red button on the wall next to her.

Quickly, she slammed her fist against the button, and the glass wall slid down into the floor. "Kai!" She cried again, rushing to his side.

She tried desperately to hold back her tears as she saw the trickles of blood, running from his head and mouth.

A small gash under his left eye had caused the skin around it to swell slightly, and dried blood caked the inside of his ears, alerting Hilary to the fact that something was seriously wrong with him.

"Kai?" She asked, gently shaking the teen. Lifeless crimson eyes cracked open slightly as a soft moan escaped his dry lips.

"Come on Kai...get up." Hilary sniffled, clutching the arm that was draped over his abdomen.

"Please Kai...please get up!" Tears poured down her cheeks, dripping softly onto the injured boy's tattooed face.

"Lets get out of here...lets go home...please get up Kai!"

"Leave me be Hilary." Kai's sudden voice startled her slightly.

"No Kai...you gotta get out of here!"

"I said leave me!" He nearly shouted.

Hilary froze in shock, her hands dropping lifelessly to her sides.

"You've associated yourself in this world long enough...get out while you still can." Kai closed his eyes with a deep sigh.

"No!" She said firmly after a moment. "I'll escape only when you're with me!" 

The blue haired teen forced himself up in a sitting position, grunting in discomfort as his skin pulled tight against his sore muscles and bones.

Hilary found herself unable to stare into those listless crimson pools any longer, and instead stared at her reflection in the glossy collar around his neck.

"The Kai Hiwatari you once knew is dead...leave me to die in the world I belong."  
-

Hopefully this was easier to read Dancing Wolf. .  
don't forget to review!  
I know not much happened in this chapter....but there's gonna be action in the next one!  
OH! I almost forgot!  
I need you people to vote....should this be a Kai/Hil fic? Tell me what you think!


	4. A Mysterious Stranger

Hey everybody!  
Thanks for all the wonderful reviews!  
  
Special thanks to the following....  
  
Acronym - lol. Thank God for the ability to daydream! I accually wrote ch 3 of this story during Alegbra.  
  
Droopy1389 - haha...yeah you're probably right! But I just can't help myself! devilish grin  
  
Phyrefly - yeah...I'm not a great big fan of Hilary myself....but I do like her a little bit. i think she's cute with Kai though Anyway...I hope you still like the story.  
  
Chibi-Kari - you really think so? I wouldn't say the best...there are plenty of great Kai/Hil writers out there!  
  
Phoenix-Roar - I believe three times so far... not sure though lol! Who's counting anyway?  
  
Eyriess - Well thanks! hehe...I like being mean to Kai muahahaha!  
-  
so...the reviewers have spoken!  
This story WILL be a KAI/HILARY pairing!  
Sorry to all you out there that hate this pairing...but you were seriously outnumbered here. I understand if you stop reading this fic because of this decision...  
  
Well...this chapter might seem a little corny...and I'm afraid the following chapters will turn out corny as well. agh!  
  
anyway...on with the story!  
------------------------  
  
"The Kai Hiwatari you once knew is dead...leave me to die in the world I belong."  
  
The brunette fell to her knees. Her hands immediately went up to cover her face as tears poured freely from her ruby eyes.

Kai watched as her small frame quivered and heaved as she let her tears flow.

"You....you cry for me?"

Hilary looked up and gazed at the older teen's face, confusion written all over it.

"Oh Kai...." She sobbed, throwing herself at the blue haired boy and wrapping her arms around him.

The teen was startled. He gasped as he felt her warm tears caress his shoulder. He wanted to pull away from the girl, but he couldn't find himself to do it.

After a few moments, the brunette's tears subsided, and she pulled back. She smiled sadly as she saw Kai's surprised face.

She remembered the time when she had hugged him the day he left for Russia...and the expression was exactly the same.

"You're in there somewhere Kai...and I'm going to find you!"

"Well well well...what do we have here?" An ominous voice bellowed from the shadows.

Kai jumped to his feet as a figure emerged before them. Blazing red lenses from black goggles pierced right through the darkness at the two teens.

"Boris!" Hilary gasped, taking a step backward.

"Are you ready?"

The blue haired teen said nothing, but held his listless stare.

"Good..." Boris chuckled, motioning a guard with his arm.

The guard rushed over and attached a chain to a ring on the crimson collar around Kai's neck and pulled him out into the hallway.

"What are you going to do?" Hilary demanded, wiping away the trails of water from her tear-streaked face.

"It is Friday night my dear...the games are about to begin."

There was complete silence as Hilary followed Boris and her friend. A guard was standing right beside her, his hand clutching her shoulder so she wouldn't run off. She listened to the jingle of the chain on Kai's collar and the footsteps echoing throughout the tunnel.

Suddenly, shouts could be heard in the distance. The noise became louder as they headed around another corner and exited the tunnel.

Hilary now found herself in a large arena. People were crowded around the rim of a giant circle, brick walls extending down about 8 feet and dirt lining the bottom.

The brunette noticed the walls were scared from all sorts of different weapons, and certain areas were even painted with blood.

As she scanned the arena, she suddenly bumped into something. She looked up only to be met with piercing red eyes.

Hilary gasped in surprise.

The figure staring back down at her was a young woman of extreme beauty.

She looked no older than 25, and had long, wavy white hair, reaching to her ankles. Her pale complexion stood out against the colorful garments wrapped around her body. Her expression was serious, yet her red eyes held sorrow.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't see where I was going!"

The woman said nothing, but extended her hand and touched the girl's face.

"Um....excuse me..." Hilary shook off her hand and rushed past her, following Boris down into the ring.

"He's captured her as well...."

The chain was unlocked and Kai was pushed out into the center of the arena.

Cheers erupted from the flocks of people gathered around the edge, waiting impatiently for the fight to commence.

Hilary was dragged up to a new arena, where Boris took a seat in a worn chair. He crossed his legs and folded his hands together, resting his chin on top.

"Watch closely my dear...there's no telling when young Kai's breath will run out."

"Kai...." She whimpered, staring down at her friend.

Down in the ring, a large man walked out to face Kai. He too wore a similar collar around his next, and scars decorated his massive chest.

He snickered as he eyed the injured boy in front of him.

"Do you really expect to stand up to me?! You're half dead!" His voice was thick with a foreign accent.

"I have no choice...I'm not fighting for my own life anymore...." Kai glanced up above the man to see Hilary staring right back, concern and fright covering her face.

"Heh....once you step into the ring, nothing else matters!" The man lunged for the blue haired teen, but Kai easily dodged him.

His instincts kicking in, Kai immediately positioned himself in a defensive stance as the man pivoted around on his heel for another attack.

Kai caught the man's fists with his own, and a battle to stay balanced soon emerged.

The teen grimaced as he felt his strength leave him, and he was pushed up against the wall.

"Do it now!" The man's master shouted from above.

The opponent raised his arm and sent a punch directly at Kai's head.

The teen managed to move in the nick of time, and the man's knuckles connected with the brick behind him.

Kai kneed the man in the gut and rolled under his legs into the center of the ring.

He got to his feet but immediately began to balance and fell to his knees.

"Oh no! Kai!" Hilary cried.

Kai winced as he touched his scalp. His opponent's punch must have grazed him slightly, for blood was beginning to trickle out into his hair.

There was a thud, and the teen turned his attention to his opponent, now face down in the dirt.

The blow to the stomach must have caused him to lose consciousness....and the battle.

Kai was declared the winner, and cheers erupted from the audience.

Hilary breathed a sigh of relief. She looked over her shoulder to see that Boris had gotten off his chair and was earnestly collecting his money.

The brunette scowled at this. His greed would be the end of him for sure!

Using this opportunity, she quietly began to sneak away from her captors. She had to find Kai and make sure he was alright!

Keeping her eye on the purple haired Russian, Hilary backed away, hoping to go unnoticed.

Suddenly, she ran into something again, and whirled around.

"Hilary?" It was that strange woman again!

"Who....who are you?! How do you know me?!"

"Quiet yourself! We mustn't be heard...."

"Tell me who you are!" Hilary whispered again.

"You need not concern yourself with my name. I am here only to help that young boy."

Hilary glanced down at the ring, just as Kai was yanked out of the ring.

"How do you know Kai?"

"I've known him for quite a while. I know he was captured and forced into this world...he was taken from his friends...the only family he really has."

Hilary gasped, looking up at the white haired woman.

"Can you tell me what happened to him?"

Red eyes peered down at her, as if wishing her to elaborate.

"How did he get to be this way....why are his eyes so empty?!"

The woman looked back at the fight. "His spirit has been siphoned out of him, but it hangs close by. You must awaken his heart....you are the only one who can."

"How do you know so much?" Hilary choked, holding back more tears.

"I know many things about that boy...he is very....dear to me....just as he is dear to you, and I correct?"

"Wha....how....."

The woman smiled. "You love him...I can see. That love will save him."

There was a moment of silence before Hilary spoke again.

"How do I bring him back?"

"You must open his heart first, then Dranzer will return. With the help of her, he will awaken."

"Dranzer!" Hilary gasped. "Dranzer! Where....where is she?!"

"3 years ago, Kai released his bitbeast. He wanted to protect her from the fate he was about to suffer, and commanded her to flee from him. Boris took his beyblade shortly after and destroyed it completely!"

With that, a tear formed in the woman's red eye and trickled down her face.

"But she never left him....she continued to watch over him from a far, unbeknownst to Kai."

Hilary gazed at the woman as her lower lip trembled slightly.

"How does she know all this?" The brunette asked herself.

Hilary glanced down at the empty ring for a moment and turned to the woman, but she had vanished!

The brunette looked about, but there was no sign of the white haired woman, but only a crimson feather, floating gracefully over the arena.  
-  
Don't forget to review!


	5. Never Gone

Hey everybody!  
Thanks for all the wonderful reviews!  
Many of you had a good quess to who the mysterious woman...you'll find out in this chapter!  
Sorry it took so long to update...I was forced to take a break from just about everything because I made a stupid mistake at school a week or so ago, and really screwd up my wrist again heh...oh well. I'm still not suppost to be doing this...but the day I accually "listen" to my doctor is the day I die!  
Well....anyway...here's the next chapter!  
Hope you enjoy!  
-----------------------  
  
"That woman...how did she know so much?" Questions kept playing over in Hilary's mind as she forced her way past the crowds of people.

She had managed to successfully get away from Boris and his guard, and found her way to the lower level where the doors to the ring were.

Creeping carefully around a corner, she found Kai, situated on a rotten wooden bench, with a man standing in front of him, tending to his wounds.

Kai cursed suddenly, knocking a bottle of antiseptic out of the man's hand.

"Look, I said I was sorry, but if I don't clean that wound....."

"You might as well just let me die! It's not like I have a chance at a normal life!"

"Kai!" Hilary called, rushing to his side. "Are you alright?" She quickly checked the gash on the side of his head. It didn't look good at all.

The blue haired teen was surprised at first, but quickly looked away.

The man sighed helplessly.

"Please Kai...let this guy help you."

"I don't need any help...."

Hilary sighed. "Do you want to get out of here alive or not?!"

Kai looked up at her with his hollow eyes.

"I know you've given up hope....but I said I would help you! We're getting out together remember?!"

Kai hissed as a moist pad of gauze touched his scalp.

To the man's surprise, the teen didn't fight back, but just sat there listlessly.

"There....all done." The man stated after a few moments.

Kai was suddenly pushed back into the arena, and the doors closed behind him.

"Thank you...." The man looked down at Hilary.

The brunette looked up at him with puffy red eyes, and gave him a half hearted smile.

"I feel so sorry for that kid...but there's something different about him now...whatever he lost in these dark tunnels is coming back to him. You must be the light that is guiding him back." The man smirked at her before walking away.

"Awaken his heart...." Hilary gasped, jumping to her feet. "That's it!"

The next round of fighting had already begun.

Kai was up against a semi buff man, fighting for his own gain.

Boris was having Kai fight one match after another!

Hilary was amazed the teen still had enough strength to fight, but she secretly wondered why Boris was forcing him to fight so much this time. "Either he's desperate for money, or he's getting tired of Kai!"

The opponent, like always, was the first to attack, but Kai easily dodged him. The second attack though was much stronger than the first, and Kai was knocked to the ground.

The man chuckled, grabbing Kai's head and holding him up in the air.

The blue haired teen cried out in pain as the man squeezed the open wound on the side of his head.

The man tossed the teen to the other end of the ring.

Kai's body bounced a few times before rolling to a stop.

"Sir? Don't you think you're pushing Hiwatari too far today? He will die at this rate."

"Are you questioning me?!" Boris's growled at his guard.

"Uh...no! No sir! It's just...."

"I know what young Kai can take...if he dies today, it won't matter. I'm the richest man in Russia because of him! I'll be able to do whatever I want after this!"

As Kai got to his feet, his opponent landed a kick on his side, nearly sending all the air out of the his lungs.

The blue haired teen growled. He grabbed his opponent's arm and threw him over his shoulder.

The man grunted as he hit the ground.

"Augh..." Kai hissed in pain. He grabbed his side and sunk to his knees.

"Kai!" Hilary exclaimed, bursting into the arena.

The blue haired teen looked over his shoulder as the brunette rushed toward him.

"Please....Hilary....get out of here..."

"No Kai! I won't leave! I.....I...I love you!"

Kai gasped, his eyes going wide.

"That......that's why you can't lose! Please Kai!"

With that, she wrapped her arms around him and embraced his lips with her own.

Suddenly, Kai pushed her out of the way just as his opponent slammed him into the brick wall.

The teen sunk to his knees in pain, holding himself up with his right arm.

"Heh..." He smirked, whipping away a trickle of blood running from his lips.

Hilary gasped, a smile forming on her face.

Kai's glassy eyes had returned to their former glow, the glow that once captivated the brunette.

"This is ridiculous!" Boris snarled, storming off to the arena doors.

"Damnit Kai!" He shouted, taking a step into the ring.

The blue haired teen tried to stand up, but he quickly fell back on his knees.

"Oh no!" Hilary exclaimed.

Kai's body had been totally exhausted! He had nothing more to give!

His opponent charged at him, about to make his final attack, when suddenly, a blur of orange and red shot down in between the two fighters in a magnificent glow.

The man cried in pain as he was sent flying backward into the brick wall on the opposite side of the arena. His head crashed against the stone and he was instantly knocked out.

The glow subsided to reveal a young woman, her white hair flowing gracefully behind her.

She turned to face the startled teen below her, his crimson eyes staring fearfully into her own.

"It's that woman!" Hilary gasped.

The woman bent down to Kai's level. She reached out and cupped his tattooed face with her right hand.

She smiled at the teen. "You have finally returned!"

"Who...who are you?" Kai breathed.

He trembled under the woman's touch, untrusting of it, yet feeling safe and warm.

"Oh Master Kai..." The woman cooed.

"Master?!" Hilary gasped. "You mean....you're...!"

Kai choked down a sob as tears formed at the corners of his eyes.

"Shh...there there Master Kai..." The woman pulled the teen to her, allowing him to cry into her shoulder.

She closed her eyes with a small smile as she stroked Kai's blue hair.

Kai heaved and grabbed hold of the white haired woman's colorful garments.

"Dranzer!" He cried into her shoulder. "I thought you had left me!"

"No Master....I would never leave you." The woman had tears of her own seeping through her eyelids.

"What?! Dranzer?! That meddlesome bitbeast has been under my nose the whole time!" Boris shouted.

He took a step toward the group, huddled together on the dirt floor.

Pulling out a gun, he aimed it straight at Kai.

"Enough of this foolishness! Your life ends today!"

The Russian's finger squeezed the trigger and a shiny silver bullet shot out, straight for the blue haired teen.

In the blink of an eye, a wave of fire spread throughout the ring, and Dranzer stood in the bullet's path.

The phoenix cried in pain as the bullet entered her chest.

Kai and Hilary watched helplessly as her body jerked back slightly but she stood her ground.

The humanoid form glared at Boris, her eyes glowing bright red as the fire swirled around her body. It formed a massive pillar and shot toward the ceiling of the arena, causing people to dart out from it's path.

"NO DRANZER!" Kai yelled, reaching out for his beloved bitbeast.

With a loud shriek, the woman's form fell to the floor, dark crimson blood pooling under her.

As fast as he could, Kai scrambled over to her side and threw his battered arms around her, letting his tears run free.

Hilary stood motionless, her body trembling in shock.

Suddenly, the crowd screamed and began running every which way in a panic. The pillar of fire that had hit the ceiling was causing it to crumble!

The brunette suddenly jerked back into reality as Boris walked over and placed the barrel of his gun at Kai's temple.

"Who knew that killing a bitbeast would be so easy?" He chuckled sadistically.

Kai growled, snarling his nose at the older Russian's words. After a moment, he snapped his gaze up to meet his captor's.

Boris grimaced and took an uneasy step backward.

The once dull, crimson eyes now burned with an intense fire of hatred and anger, and it startled the purple haired Russian.

Kai laid Dranzer's head gently on the ground and stood up. "For three long years I've put up with you....for three long years....I've watched people die for your sick ambitions! And for three.....long years...I didn't resist.....that ends today Boris!"

Before the Russian had anytime to blink, Kai's fist landed in his face, shattering the goggles covering his eyes.

"Augh!" Boris cried, his hand covering his left eye as a shard from the lens hit him.

Kai rushed in for another attack, but Boris quickly held up his gun and fired off two rounds, on of them hitting Kai in the shoulder.

That bullet didn't stop the teen, it just made him more angry.

Boris was knocked up against the wall, and his grip on the gun was lost.

"Do you really think you can beat me Kai? I made you what you are!" The Russian smirked down and the teen.

"I won't allow you to kill anymore Boris! You've taken away my life...my family...and my friends!"

Suddenly, Kai felt a sharp jab of pain run through his chest. Gasping for breath, he fell down on his knees, his arms clutched around his stomach.

"Oh no! Kai!" Hilary called from behind.

Boris grabbed a handful of blue hair and brought the boy up to his feet.

With a quick, powerful punch, Kai was sent flying into the wall.  
He got to his hands and knees, coughing up blood as he tried to regain his breath.

"Kai!" Hilary rushed to his side.

"No....get away from away!" He gasped.

Boris's chuckled echoed through the arena.

Kai growled and motioned Hilary to move behind him.

"How touching! Good ol' Kai...protecting those who care for him. You were the exact same way when I killed your parents!"

"Kai...." Hilary whimpered softly as the blue haired teen began to shake slightly.

"Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with this!" Kai got to his feet, wavering slightly as he tried to keep his balance.

Boris fired at the teens again. This time, the bullet grazed Kai's leg and landed near Hilary's foot.

The brunette screamed as it collided in the dirt, sending up a small cloud of dust.

Kai lunged out and quickly grabbed hold of Boris's arm, surprising the man with his sudden speed.

After a brief struggle, Kai managed to throw him to the ground, but Boris pulled him down with him.

Hilary scooted back against the wall, watching helplessly as the two Russian's wrestled for the gun.

Suddenly, two shots echoed through the underground tunnels.

The brunette cringed, bringing her knees up to her chest.

The two bodies fell motionless, and a deadly silence filled the air.

Hilary gasped. "Kai? KAI!!!!"  
-------------------------------------

Okay...that was long!

:cowers from angry mob: Don't hurt me! You'll see what happens next chapter!  
Don't forget to review!


	6. Turning to Ashes

Hey everyone...sorry for the wait thanks to everyone who reviewed! I have two pictures up on my DeviantArt account...so if you would like to view them, go to my profile and click on the link there.  
Here's the next chapter!  
Enjoy if possible!  
  
-----------------  
  
"Kai? KAI!!!!"

The brunette was frozen with shock at the scene that had unfolded in front of her every eyes. 

After a moment, she began to make her way toward the two bodies, scared of what she might discover.

During the struggle, Boris had managed to get on top of Kai, their bodies shielding the gun from view.

She reached out to touch the body, when suddenly it jerked upward.

Hilary nearly screamed in surprise, thinking that Boris was still alive.

There was a familiar grunting underneath, and within moments, the evil Russian's body rolled off the side.

Hilary's eyes grew as wide as saucers as she saw her friend underneath.

Kai rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself on his knees, coughing slightly.

"Kai! Oh my God! You're alright!" Hilary rushed over and threw her arms around him gently.

He let out a soft cry of pain at the sudden contact, and Hilary pulled away, somewhat embarrassed.

"Sorry...."

Kai didn't hear her. He was busy trying to crawl over to the phoenix's still body.

"Dran....zer...." He reached out and ran his hand through the silk crimson feathers lining the giant bird's neck.

Red eyes cracked open slightly at the sound of the name, and stared straight at Kai.

"Master.....Kai...."

"Shhh...don't talk....It'll be okay...don't worry..." Kai forced a sad smile, stroking his bitbeast as she laid in a gathering pool of blood.

"I'm....sorry....Master Kai...." Dranzer's head fell back onto the earthen floor, and her eyes closed.

"Dranzer?" Tears immediately began to flow from the blue haired teen's crimson eyes.

"Kai?" Hilary asked, walking over to the grieving teen softly.

More debris fell down from the ceiling around them, but Kai didn't seem to notice.

Suddenly, in a burst of flame, Dranzer's body evaporated into ash, leaving Kai with only a memory.

The blue haired teen grabbed a handful of the grey ash and squeezed it, trying to keep himself from breaking down completely.

He felt a warm hand slide around his battered shoulders.

Hilary rested her head gently on his. "It's okay to cry now Kai..." She had tears of her own pouring down her face.

With those words, Kai's wall around his heart fell.

His hot tears rolled off his tattooed cheeks and mixed with the ash below him, now beginning to blow away with the slight breeze seeping in through the ceiling.

A block of concrete landed next to the two teens, signaling them to leave.

Hilary helped Kai off the ground and they began to walk away, Kai looking over his shoulder one last time at the remains of his beloved phoenix.  
  
:::

A good part of the tunnels were blocked by the explosion, trapping the teen's inside the collapsing arena.

Kai quickly led Hilary to an iron barred ladder on the side of the tunnel wall.

"This should led us out.....you first...."

Hilary nodded and proceeded to climb.

She got to the top only to be stopped by a manhole cover.

She tried to push it up, only to lift it about 2 inches above the ground.

Kai's arm reached past her, helping her push it up completely.

Hilary blushed slightly as the blue haired teen's body pressed against hers as they removed the cover.

Shaking her head, she climbed out into the fresh night air of Russia.

Kai struggled slightly but eventually pulled himself onto the pavement.

He laid there for a moment. His body was getting weaker and weaker with each passing second, and dark circles were beginning to cloud his vision.

"Kai?" Hilary's voice was full of concern. "Kai!? Stay awake!"

It was hopeless...Kai was drifting further and further away.

Suddenly, the brunette heard shouting in the distance.

"Is there still people down there?"

"Hurry up! Put out that fire!"

Hilary gasped and rushed around the corner.

Down the street, a crowd of police, firemen, paramedics and various other people stood around a gaping hole.

Parts of some of the surrounding buildings were on fire, and the firemen were busy extinguishing them.

"Help! Someone! My friend needs help!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

A few medics and policemen answered her call and were running over to her.

She turned and rushed back to Kai's side.

"Hilary....I...." He croaked.

"Shhh. It's alright now..." Hilary brushed his bangs away from his eyes.

The two medics shooed her away as the tended to the injured teen.

The policeman gasped. "You're....Hilary! The girl with the BladeBreakers?!" The brunette nodded.

"My! We've been looking for you all week! Mr. Dickinson and the rest of the team have been really worried about you Missy."

"They'll be even more worried when they see him...." She motioned over to Kai.

"My God!" One of the medics gasped.

The policeman walked over and bent down next to the medic. "What is it?"

"He's another one of those underground fighters! By these markings....I'd say he was in Balkov's custody. God! He's only just a kid too!" The medic trailed the blue stripes on the teen's chest.

The policeman gasped. "Wait a minute....." He turned Kai's head slightly. "This...this is Kai Hiwatari!"

Another medic had appeared and placed a warm blanket around Hilary's shoulders. He began to lead her away, but she refused.

"No! I need to stay with Kai!"

"Hurry! We need to get him to the hospital!" Kai's motionless body was hoisted onto a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance

"Hilary!" 4 teenaged boys burst into the waiting area, followed by an elderly man.

"Tyson! Max! Rei! Kenny! Mr. D!" She smiled. "I'm so glad to see you again!"

The brunette was seated on a small couch in the hallway, two thick blankets wrapped tightly around her.

All her injuries had been treated, though they were all minor, and she was given something warm to eat and drink.

Questions from all the bladers flew at her.

"Settle down boys! One at a time!" The elder, Mr. Dickinson finally interrupted.

"What happened to you!"

"We were worried sick!"

"Are you alright? What happened?!"

Hilary nodded, a sad smile creeping on her face.

"I'm fine...I'll explain everything later. There's something I have to tell you..."

"Oh?" Everyone tilted their heads slightly, waiting to hear the news.

"You guys.....Kai's alive. He....he might not be soon though...." She looked down at her lap, tears forming in her eyes once again.

Everything around them seemed to stop.

Kai....their captain....after 3 years....was...alive!

"Hilary! Tell us everything!"  
------------------------------------

Don't forget to review!


	7. Close To Death

Hey everyone!  
Sorry for not updating for a while....a few of my fingers became paralyzed and it was kind of....difficult to type and stuff.....yeah.  
anyway...thanks for all the great reviews!  
You people are sooo nice to me!

I got quite a few reviews about phoenixes and their turning to ashes when they die....I'm quite aware of that fact....just wait and see what happens.  
  
Special thanks to...  
  
**Phoenix-Roar :** Don't you hate it when that happens? lol...don't kill yourself! Sheesh! See! I updated! ::hands over an oxygen mask::  
  
**Goddess-Hope :** You'll see....you'll see...heh ;)  
  
**EVIL-me :** Sorry...but Kai and Hilary are gonna be an item in this story...I know alot of people don't like that...oh well. :  
  
**Hutchy :** You'll see.... ;)  
  
**Moon Comix :** lol I know....I just can't help myself! hehe... I don't think I did it though in this chapter though.... heh  
  
**tabbycat411 :** maybe...maybe not....we will all see about that one ;)  
  
**BlackX :** Well...maybe...but this story isn't anywhere near finished yet....  
  
**Lil Tanuki Wolf :** If you attack me...I might not be able to finish this story...then you would get REALLY mad...right?  
  
**Acronym and Verb :** hey! You gave me a better idea than I orignally had! Thanks!  
  
**Lita Maxwell :** lol! You're funny! I can just picture all of that!  
  
**Deidrh :** I wouldn't really call it decication...just rebellion. LOL! I like the word decication though...I'll go with that!  
  
This chapter is nothing special...might be boring...not to sure though...lol I think someone asked a few chapters back how long this would be...and I'm not sure if I ever answered that.  
I was originally going to stop a few chapters back but decided to make it longer...so this story might be a fairly long one...I'll have to see where it goes.  
  
Well...enough of my blabbering....on with the chapter!

Oh! Just one more thing....I'm having issues with this editing thing....so hopefully it's not too confusing to read.....  
-----------------

The brunette sighed. "Alright....well...I was on my way back to the hotel, when I ran into Kai on the street. He was running from something, and seemed panicked. This man....Boris captured us both and we were taken deep underground." 

"Boris?!" Everyone exclaimed.

Hilary nodded slowly. "He forced Kai into these sick fighting matches to win money...that's where he's been all this time!" Her ruby eyes filled up with tears as she spoke.

"Oh my..." Mr. Dickinson sunk in his chair.

"Where...is Kai now?" Rei asked after a moment of silence.

"I...I don't know. They won't let anyone see him yet."

After a few hours, a doctor walked out and greeted the group. 

"Are you here for that young boy that was brought in?" His thick Russian accent asked.

"Yes! Please....tell us what's going on!" Mr. Dickinson nearly pleaded.

"Well....let's see...." He took a moment to flip through papers on his clipboard.

Each second seemed to fly by at an agonizing pace, but finally the doctor spoke.

"Well....when he was admitted, we found he had multiple injuries, some of which had never been properly treated and had healed over. His ribs have many fractures, and each of his shoulders had been dislocated at a previous time, and had taken a bullet in the right. When we brought him into surgery, we noticed that he had been suffering from internal bleeding. We have managed to stop it now, but I don't know how long it's been going on. Most of his physical wounds will heal though. We've cleaned and dressed all the major wounds, and with plenty of rest and antibiotics, they will close nicely."

The doctor paused for a second before continuing.

"He's severely dehydrated, and his weight is dangerously low. He has also lost a great amount of blood, and we fear he may go into a coma soon...."

"....but will he live?" Tyson asked after a moment of silence.

The doctor let out a long sigh. "It's hard to tell. He's one of the underground fighters....I've never seen one survive in this bad of condition."

Everyone gave a short gasp as everything sunk in.

"He....he can't die! Not now!" Hilary exclaimed, tears running down her cheeks again.

"I'm so sorry.....I've done all I can....it's all up to him now...if his will to live is strong enough...he may pull through..." With that....the doctor turned to leave, but was stopped by Rei.

"Can...can we see him?"

"I can take you to his room, but you can't go in yet."

"Okay..." The teens' replied in small voices.

The doctor led them down a long white hallway and stopped in front of a window toward the end of the hall. Inside, Kai laid motionless on a bed, his tattooed chest and arms covered in clean bandages. A clear mask covered his nose and mouth, pumping air into his exhausted lungs.

"My God...." The elder gasped, covering his mouth as he saw the boy he had know for years in that horrible condition.

"Kai...." Tyson closed his eyes and looked down toward his feet.

"Those tattoos...." Max started...noticing the blue stripes on his shoulders.

"From my experience, street fighters are marked in such a way quite often. The authorities believe Boris Balkov is the one that forced Kai here to fight....he had a total of twelve stripes all over his body...."

"Twelve?" Hilary asked, sniffing.

"Two on each cheek, one on each hip and shoulder, and two on each leg."

"He'll never be able to escape his past this time..." Mr. Dickinson said sadly.

The brunette placed her hand against the cool glass that closed them off from the wounded teen...the teen she had grown to love. "Please Kai.....you have to live!"

It had been a few weeks, and Kai was transferred to a different hospital in Japan, close to where Hilary, Tyson and Kenny all lived.

Rei and Max had to return to their respected countries, but demanded to know when Kai awoke so they could fly back over.

Hilary sat next to his bed, reading quietly as she listened to the slow beeping from the machines surrounding the injured teen.

Every day after school, she would go and visit Kai...hoping that it would be the day when he would finally open his beautiful crimson eyes once again.

After a few minutes, Hilary noticed the blue haired teen flinch slightly, and his brow knot together in pain.

"Kai?" She asked, grabbing his hand gently.

Suddenly, he gave it a soft squeeze.

Hilary nearly screamed with joy.

"Kai! Can you hear me? Wake up!"

With a groan, the teen's eyes parted a forth of the way open.

"Kai?" Hilary asked again.

"Wha....happened?" His voice was barely above a whisper, and Hilary had to bend down close to his face just to hear him.

"You're in Japan now...you're hurt really badly, but you're safe. Don't worry...."

"I...I can't see you...." He murmured weakly, trying to open his eyes further.

Hilary rushed over to the window and closed the blinds. The room was now quite dim, except for the single light in the ceiling over the door.

"Is that better?" The brunette asked, brushing his blue bangs away from his face.

After a moment, Kai's eyes began to focus, and Hilary's figure took form.

"You're crying...."

Hilary chuckled slightly, wiping away her tears with the back of her arm. "I'm so glad to talk to you again Kai."

The injured teen groaned slightly, and coughed a few times.

"Hilary? Are you here?" A voice asked as the door opened.

Mr. Dickinson stepped into the room, a look of pure shock on his wrinkled face. "He's....awake?!"

The brunette smiled. "He just woke up."

The elder took a few steps toward the bed, unsure of what to say.

"Mr.....Dickinson.....?" Kai asked softly.

"Kai!" The BBA manager took a seat next to the teen and grabbed hold of his hand. "We were shocked to hear you were still alive! We spent years looking for you!"

"We....?"

"Yes! Tyson...Rei...Max...Kenny...Hilary and myself! We were devastated when we heard the news!"

Kai yanked his hand out from under the elders and draped it across his bandaged stomach. He turned his head and faced the opposite wall.

"Kai?"

"You should just forget about me....all of you....I'm useless now...."

"Kai!" Hilary started.

"Now Kai...." The elder started, but was cut off.

"Go away....just....leave."

Hilary growled slightly, crossing her arms. She took a step forward but was stopped when Mr. Dickinson placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll come back tomorrow..." He said softly.

The brunette frowned, but nodded anyway. She bent down to gather her backpack and headed toward the door, Mr. Dickinson following close behind.

The elder stopped halfway out of the room, and turned to face Kai once again. "You know Kai....you hold a very special place in all of our hearts...nothing will ever be able to change that."

With that, the two left the room, closing the door quietly behind them.

Kai looked up at the ceiling once he was sure they were gone. He breathed in the fresh oxygen through the mask over his mouth and closed his eyes.

"They'll never see me the same way ever again....."

----------------- 

Yeah...kind of boring again....oh well.  
But the action will pick up sometime soon.  
Don't forget to review!!!


	8. Memories and Pity

Hey everyone!  
I'm bored out of my mind so I decided to continue writing....just don't tell my parents lol -  
thanks for all the wonderful reviews!  
I really appreciate them all!  
I'm surprised at how many of you get emotional when reading it! I'm not trying to make anyone cry...I swear!!!  
  
Special Thanks to.....  
  
**Dancing Wolf** - yeah...now that I re-read it all...I did!!! ahhh!! I should have noticed....oh well...hopefully I didn't do that in this chapter too much! Oh! And the answer to your other question....you will find out next chapter ;)  
  
**Lita Maxwell** - Oo remind me NOT to get on YOUR bad side!  
  
**Lil Tanuki Wolf** - I'm sure this update isn't as soon as you wanted it...but I tried!  
  
**eyriess** - you'll see :)  
  
**Droopy1389** - I can only take a break for so long! I'm going insane here!!! Who cares if my fingers go? I can always get those artifical ones! lol  
  
So....on with the story!  
Hopefully it's not boring....again

--------------------------  
  
Kai ran through the streets, water splashing on his legs as he tore through puddles of muddy water from the storm raining down above him.

The sound of tires burning against the asphalt filled the teen's ears as he watched a black van skid around a corner, heading straight for him.

Kai cursed loudly and darted into an alleyway, barely missing the speeding vehicle.

"Damn!" He growled as he skidded to a stop.

The alley was a dead end....Kai had no where else to run.

He heard the van turn around down the street, and head back over to the alley.

Quickly, Kai removed a blue beyblade from his pocket and held it up to the light.

"It looks like this is where we finally part my friend..."

The center of the blade began to glow a crimson red, and the teen could feel it's heat warming up is hand.

Swiftly, he launched the beyblade on the ground in front of him.

"Go Dranzer! I release you!" He shouted above the crackle of the thunder overhead.

In a bright light, a giant phoenix rose out of the blue blade to greet it's master.

Kai closed his eyes and stroked his beast's feathered neck.

"There's no sense in them getting us both. Fly Dranzer! Fly away!"

"But....Master..."

"Go now damnit! They're here!"

Tears trickled down the phoenix's red eyes and her master pushed her away gently.

"Hurry! There he is!" A voice shouted.

Two men, dressed in dark trench coats appeared around the corner and faced Kai and Dranzer.

"Heh...we can kill two birds with one stone now." A sicken chuckled came from the first man.

Kai balled his hands into fists and clenched his teeth.

"I can't leave you here to suffer this fate alone...." Dranzer's smooth voice whispered.

"You must....it's the only way."

"Get 'em!"

The two men suddenly lunged forward.

Kai ducked under the red phoenix and met their attack with a powerful uppercut.

"Why you...." The second man sent a kick toward Kai's head, but the teen managed to block it.

"Go Dranzer!" Kai yelled as he continued to block his opponents attacks.

The phoenix shook her head, her sparkling tears mixing with the rain falling from the heavens.

"I...I can't! I won't!"

The accomplice took out a gun hidden within his coat and aimed it at the glowing bird.

"Master Boris would love your head...."

"No!"

Kai punched his opponent in the face and rushed over and tackled the man just as he pulled the trigger, diverting the bullet into the mass of feathers in Dranzer's wing.

The two landed in a pool of water under the pained phoenix as she let out a small cry.

"Dranzer!" Kai yelled again, picking up the gun from the man's limp hand.

With tears in his crimson eyes, he held the weapon at his own bitbeast, his finger wrapped around the trigger.

The phoenix took a step back and gasped. "Master Kai!"

"Go now! I will shoot you if you don't leave!" The blue haired teen yelled sternly.

Dranzer stared at her master with disbelief.

"Listen to me Dranzer!" Kai bellowed, firing a round next to the phoenix's talon feet.

The firebird took to the sky, hovering over the alley and peering down at her master Kai dropped the gun and smirked up at his beast.

"I'll always love you Dranzer....never forget that...." He murmured to himself.

With a heart-wrenching cry, the red bird flew off in a beam of light, disappearing into the stormy sky.

The blue haired teen let out a tired sigh and began to get off the man below him.

Suddenly, he gasped, remembering the second man.

He whirled around and saw the man, a long rifle in his hand.

In the blink of an eye, the man swung the end of the gun and hit Kai on the side of the head, throwing him to the other side of the alley.

The teen's skull crashed against the brick wall, and his ears were filled with the splatter of blood behind him.

Kai slid down the wall and slumped over on the cold ground, a trail of blood behind him.

The man walked over to him with a sickening smirk on his face.

Kai looked up at his attacker with clouded eyes as the gun was brought down against him once again.  
  
:::

Crimson eyes shot open with a gasp.

After a few moments, Kai blinked, and quickly began breathing in fresh air.

He stared at the ceiling for a second before realizing he was still in the hospital.

With a tired sigh, the blue haired teen turned onto his side and relaxed against the fluffy pillow behind him.

"Dranzer....." He sighed sadly.

"Mr. Dickinson! Good to see you again!" A muffled voice from outside filled Kai's ears.

"Great...."

"Good to see you too Dr. Korosu! How's Kai doing today?" The elder was solemn as he spoke.

"It's hard to say...he won't talk to any of us. His injuries seem to be closing up just fine though...but he's not eating or taking any medication. We've been forced to insert a tube and feed him that way."

"Kai's not one to comply with doctors that's for sure." The elder smiled slightly.

"Maybe you can talk some sense into him today." Korosu opened the door to Kai's room and allowed the elder to enter. "Oh! One more thing...don't turn on the lights. His eyes are still very sensitive."

"Thank you...." He whispered, closing the door behind him.

The elder treaded over to the side of the bed and took a seat quietly.

"Kai? Are you awake?"

"Hn..." Came the reply.

Mr. Dickinson chuckled softly. "Can you at least turn over so I can see you?"

After a moment of silence, Kai let out a sigh and turned onto his back, sitting up against the back of the bed slightly.

"There we go." The BBA manager smiled at the teen as he stared down at his lap, unable to look back at the elder. "So Kai...how are you feeling today?"

The teen didn't reply.

"I see...." Mr. Dickinson tried to think of something else to say. "So...I'm told you can come home in a few weeks. Tyson and the others will be happy to see you again."

"Heh..." Kai breathed. "I'm sure about that...."

"Kai, they're your teammates remember? We were all devastated when you disappeared! Hilary even traveled to 3 other countries looking for you!"

"Mr. Dickinson....." Kai started, breathing in heavily. "You don't know what I have done....things will never be the same again."

"I know you were forced to fight Kai...that doesn't matter to any of us!"

"We'll see about that...."

The elder was taken aback by the teen's words. He opened his mouth to speak, but the door opened behind him.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but there are three children in the waiting room looking for you sir."

"Alright...thank you." Mr. Dickinson stood up and headed out the door.

He paused and looked back at Kai.

"They want to see you Kai....."

"...whatever...." The teen replied after a moment.  
  
:::

It was about 10 minutes after the elder left that the door reopened, and a familiar brunette walked in, accompanied by 2 boys.

Kai heard the boys gasp, but refused to look their way.

"K...Kai?"

The oldest teen sighed in defeat and greeted his former team with an unintentional glare.

"It...it IS you!" The navy haired boy exclaimed, rushing over to the side of the bed.

After a long pause, Hilary decided to say something.

"How are you feeling Kai?"

"Hnnn...."

That was the old Kai they knew so long ago. The three were glad to have his old attitude back. They had really begun to miss it.

"Kai...uh...."

Crimson eyes flashed over to Tyson, who stared back with a sad gaze.

"Don't _ever_ look at _me_ like that!" Kai snapped, causing the teens to look at their feet.

"If you're going to pity me...do it far away."

"We don't pity you Kai....." Hilary started The injured teen cut her off with an angry glare.

She knew it was true....this should have never happened, but it did...and they all felt horrible for it.

"Kai...." Tyson started, placing his gloved hand on his captain's shoulder. "We're....glad to see you back."

The blue haired teen was thrown off slightly by Tyson's sincere smile. He hadn't seen sincerity in a long time.

"Come on boys and girl...let's let him rest..." A soft voice appeared at the door.

"Yes sir...." Hilary looked back at Mr. Dickinson before returning her gaze back to Kai, who was now busy staring at the closed window.

Tyson and Kenny turned and headed toward the door, Hilary soon following.

"Hang in there Kai...." She murmured, closing the door softly behind her.

------------------------------Please review!!!! 


	9. Dying!

Okay.....I've had this chapter on my computer for a while now....and meant to upload it long ago....but it never happened.....as you can tell.  
Anyway....I was waiting so I could go back and rewrite it....but I've been so busy lately that I never got around to it.  
  
So...I'm just going to get it over with.  
It's HORRIBLE!  
I mean really! It's short....it's stupid...it's pointless!  
The next chapter is already so much better.  
I'm really sorry....I'm getting sloppy and stuff....  
  
Thanks to all who reviewed!!!!  
  
I'm not even going to say "Enjoy if you can," because you wouldn't even if you could.  
----------  
  
It was early the next morning. The phone rang, awaking Mr. Dickinson from his sleep.

"Hello?" He asked, still drowsy.

"Mr. Dickinson? This is Dr. Korosu...."

"Yes? Is something the matter?" Panic began to build in the elder's chest.

"We've discovered a....problem. Could you please come down as soon as possible?"

"Yes! Of course! What's going on?"

"I'll explain everything later....just please come down."

The phone call ended, and Mr. Dickinson rushed to get ready.  
  
:::

"Dr. Korosu!" The elder exclaimed, seeing the mid aged doctor waiting for him in the hall. "Is Kai alright?"

"That's the thing Mr. Dickinson....." The doctor led the elder into a closed off room, a row of lights hanging from one end of the wall. "I took another x-ray of Kai....and I saw this...." He held an x-ray up to the light, illuminating the image of the blue haired teen's chest.

"Do you see this?" The doctor pointed to a dark spot toward the right of the x-ray.

The elder nodded silently, fear racing through his body.

"Kai's bleeding again. We've already done another surgery earlier this morning, but I'm not sure it will stop this time....it may kill him."

Mr. Dickinson's eyes went wide. His legs felt weak, and he collapsed into a nearby chair. "No...it can't be..."

"I'm so sorry to have to tell you this....but we've done all we can. All that's left to do now is to pray he'll make it."

"....how long?" Mr. Dickinson managed to ask after a moment. "How long....does he have?"

"It's hard to say....maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months."

"Alright......thank you...." The elder got up from his chair and headed toward the door in a lifeless stride.

"You can go in and see him if you would like....I've already told him the news, but he seems to have known it for a while now...."

The BBA manager nodded. "Thank you doctor....oh, and let's keep this between the three of us...I don't want the kids to know just yet."

"I understand...."  
  
:::

Kai looked over at the door to his room as it swung open, revealing the same brunette girl that had visited him every single day.

"Where is the rest of the 'gang'?" He asked softly as Hilary took a seat next to his bed.

She stifled a laugh. "Tyson's in detention...and Kenny had to help his mom with the restaurant."

"Heh..." "We were told the other day that you'll be getting out in a few weeks. We can't wait to have you back with us Kai!"

The blue haired captain looked away. "Yeah...."

"Kai? Is something wrong?" Hilary's face grew worried.

"No..." He replied quickly.

"Tyson has already vowed to run 5 miles and to train really hard!"

"That'll be for nothing...."

"And Rei and Max are coming out too!"

"It's not going to matter!"

Ruby eyes settled on Kai with a confused stare. "Of course it will matter! You're our...."

"Don't you get it already!?" Kai's sudden change in voice startled her. "I'm dying...."

"What?!" Her ruby eyes went wide. "But...the doctor said...."

"He was lying....."

"But how? You seem to be getting better! Kai!" She was starting to panic, jumping to her feet.

The blue haired teen let out an exhausted sigh. "It's Dranzer...."

"Dranzer?"

"I didn't realize it until a few days ago....but she had been close to me all those years....even though I couldn't sense her....but she was the one keeping me alive.....that's why I was able to survive....she kept my heart beating...that's why she never left me...." He took a deep breath. "That's why......."

"Kai...."

"...but she's gone now......" The teen's crimson eyes fell to his hands, resting on his lap.

He suddenly felt a gentle warmth around his bare shoulders. He gazed up to see Hilary, wrapped around him in a soft hug.

"Hil..."

"I'm not going to let you die...." Sparkling tears rolled down her cheeks and ran onto Kai's neck.

She brought her hand up to the side of his face and nuzzled against his tattooed cheek. "You've been through too much to die now."

"But....."

"Dranzer can't be gone....she's a phoenix.....right?"

Kai gasped sharply, causing him to go into a fit of coughing.

"That's right! How could I have forgotten?!" He thought to himself as Hilary helped him take a sip of water.

There was a soft knock at the door.

"Kai......?"

The older teen gazed up at the brunette.

"I have to leave now.....I'll see you in two days." With that, she planted a soft kiss on his forehead and left the room.

With a loud sigh, Kai sunk back into his pillows and glanced over at the window, the sky blending with beautiful oranges, blues and pinks.

"Dranzer.....are you still out there?"  
-------------  
yeah.  
Please review and tell me how badly it sucked!


	10. Shopping

Hi everyone!  
Wow....this chapter has been half way finished for a while now....I just went back and added some to it....hopefully it came out alright! 

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews!!!

Sorry, I've been lazy about updated all my stories lately...

I hope this isn't too boring....the action will pick back up soon I hope. I already have the ending planned out...so yeah.

This chapter is just plain boring I'm sure...that's about all I have to say.  
It's one of those "Boring chapters that have to be in the story" kind of thing...

So yeah....enjoy if you can....I have to go get my hair cut!  
---------------------------  
Chapter 10

Kai had spent another week in the hospital, and today, Mr. Dickinson was checking him out.

The doctor had said that it would be best if Kai spent the time he had left with those closest to him, since he had gained enough weight to safely move around, but he would have to take it extremely easy.

"Like that will ever happen...." Kai scoffed mentally.

He struggled slightly as he pulled a grey t-shirt over his head, trying not to aggravate any of his wounds on his chest, but the effort was in vain.

The teen growled in pain as his head popped through the top of the shirt, ruffling his already messy hair.

Grabbing a pair of worn jeans from his hospital bed, he quickly slid them on and buttoned them, but they immediately fell down to his thighs.

Kai growled again in annoyance this time, mentally cursing the whole hospital.

His nurse gave him these clothes to wear, since the ones he came in there with were practically destroyed.

The only problem was that the clothes had belonged to some 200 pound guy, and Kai was currently and even 100.

Kai had eyed the clothes when the nurse placed them in his hands, and he was about to protest but the nurse had beat him to it.

"I know they are too big for you, but that's all we have! I'm sure Mr. Dickinson and your friends will take you shopping!" The nurses voice rang through his head.

Scowling, the teen glanced around the room for something he could use as a belt, his crimson eyes finally settling on a white roll of medical tape. The same tape that the nurse had used to wrap Kai's chest with just moments ago.

Taking the roll, Kai held up the pants just below his belly button and, using his free hand, swiftly wrapped the tape taught around his narrow hips.

"Well....this is interesting...." Kai said to himself. "Oh well....." He shrugged, deciding that no one would notice with the huge, baggy shirt hanging down to his mid thighs.

Suddenly, he keeled over slightly in a coughing fit.

Grabbing hold of the corner of the sink, he pulled himself up and turned on the faucet and gulped down some water.

Kai scowled at the taste, but it was better than nothing.

Wiping his mouth dry with the back of his hand, he walked out into the hallway, only to be greeted by his doctor.

"Ready to go now Kai?"

"Hnn...." The teen closed his eyes and crossed his arms loosely across his chest, wincing slightly.

---

"Kai!" Hilary exclaimed, rushing over to the blue haired teen as he rounded the corner.

She gently threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest.

"I'm so glad you're getting better!" She smiled.

"Yeah....whatever...."

"Please don't be that way Kai...."

"There you are!" An elderly voice exclaimed.

"Mr. Dickinson." Kai acknowledged the elderly man, nodding his head as he approached.

The BBA manager placed a hand on the teen's shoulder. "The rest of the team are out doing different errands, so Hilary and I are going to take you to get some new clothes and anything else you may need."

Kai opened his mouth to reply, but the doctor appeared with a handful of release forms to be signed.

Mr. Dickinson sat down to sign them all, Kai and Hilary following suit.

"Um...Mr. D? Where's Kai going to stay?" The brunette asked, curious.

"I would like to know that as well." Kai muttered, glancing at the elder.

"You'll be staying with me Kai....at least for a couple more years. The government requires that you stay with a legal guardian."

"I see......" Kai looked away again. "You've been taking care of me all my life.....aren't you sick of it?"

The elder chuckled. "Not at all my boy! Come on...let's get out of here." He stood up and handed the forms to the nurse behind the counter.

"Oh! Here you go!" Hilary handed Kai a pair of sunglasses.

Kai took them and stared at them for a moment before looking back at Hilary.

"I figured your eyes are still too sensitive to the sunlight, so I bought these for you!" She smiled at him again.

"Thanks...I guess..."

Unfolding the sunglasses, he slid them over his eyes and followed Mr. Dickinson and Hilary outside.

---

Kai glanced around himself. Building towered on every side of the blue haired teen.

"Welcome back home Kai!" Hilary smiled, seeing his overwhelmed expression.

"Everything seems so big....I can't believe I had forgotten."

The three continued down the street, earning quite a few stares from people as they passed.

Kai frowned, pulling the collar of his shirt up closer to his neck. It kept sliding down his shoulder, and revealed the blue stripes permanently etched into his skin.

He knew the people were staring at him for that reason.

---

After a cab ride, and a three minute walk, the group came to a department store.

"Hello there! Is there anything I can help you with?" A cheerful lady asked as the elder and two teens walked in.

"We'll be fine, thank you." Mr. Dickinson replied.

"Well this is new...." Kai said to himself, looking through a glass case with shiny beyblades inside. "Looks like they have some new component...."

"The engine gear." A voice answered.

Kai glanced up at Hilary, who was smiling down at him.

Standing up straight, he stared at her silently.

"They came out with them about a year ago, everyone is rumored to start battling with them soon."

The blue haired teen pushed his sunglasses up his nose a bit and walked past her. "That's nice..."

"Hey! Wait up will ya!?"

The two teens followed Mr. Dickinson up an escalator and into a new area of the store.

"Here we go...why don't you find something you like?" The elder said as they came to a section of clothes for all shapes and sizes.

Kai blinked at the outfit on the mannequin in front of them.

It was wearing an outfit similar to Tyson's.

"The BladeBreakers have a line of clothes based off each member." Hilary said.

"That's.....disturbing..."

Taking his arm, Hilary dragged Kai into the sea of clothes racks, and they began their hunt for new outfits.

After an hour and a half, Kai got fed up and decided to look in the section they saw earlier, the one with the mannequin dressed as Tyson.

There, he found his old outfit, baggy pants and a tight black top. Hilary had found a long white scarf almost identical to his old one.

Satisfied, and completely worn out from shopping, he decided it was time to find Mr. Dickinson and get out of there.

The teens had to take another escalator to the next floor to find him.

The elder nearly burst out laughing as he saw the clothes in Kai's arm.

He glared at the old man through his sunglasses.

"Alright....finished?"

Kai nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off the elder. This was seriously pissing him off.

Moving on to a cash register, Kai dropped the pile of clothes on the desk.

"Aw how cute! You must be a 'Kai' fan! You even have his hair!" The lady behind the desk squealed.

The teen's glasses fell slightly, revealing a crimson death glare.

The woman jumped slightly, glancing at Hilary and the elder who was busy writing a check.

"You..."

"That's right..." Kai smirked proudly, seeing that the woman was in complete shock.

Hilary laughed nervously, poking Kai in the side gently. "Don't make a scene here!"

Coughing, the blue haired teen pushed his glasses back up and fixed the collar of his shirt once again.

"...alright...thank you, and come again!" The woman finally smiled.

Kai grabbed the bag before anyone could do anything and walked over to the dressing rooms.

"Kai?" Mr. Dickinson started.

"This shirt needs to burn...." He grumbled, pulling it up again.

---

After a few minutes, Kai reappeared from the dressing room wearing his familiar outfit.

"Feel better?" Hilary asked, smiling slightly.

"Much..." He replied, fixing the knot of his scarf behind him.

"Okay then...now that everyone's happy...let's get something to eat!" Mr. Dickinson announced.

-----------------------

Okay....this was getting too long as well.  
The action will pick up soon....I think...

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!


	11. An Unexpected Gift

Hi everybody!

I am sooo sorry that I haven't updated in a long time! Really I am.

I had ...computer difficulties...and wasn't able to work on this story for a while, but I managed to pull all my fics off that computer (getting electrocuted along the way...lol!) and now I can work on them again!

Hopefully this doesn't suck too badly...I am out of practice.

Just to warn ya...it's boring, and I was going brain dead toward the middle of this chapter.

Oh well...

Thanks for all the great reviews last chapter! I'll get around to reading them someday

Enjoy if you can!  
-----------------------------------------------

Chapter 11 - An Unexpected Gift

Kai stuck his hands in the pockets of his new pants, feeling extremely comfortable and relaxed as memories from his life as a BladeBreaker came back to him.

But even though he appeared cool and collected on the outside, he was still at war with himself on the inside.

No matter what, he couldn't escape the fact that he had killed people in those underground fights, and that he had lost his Dranzer...the only reason he stayed alive.

His mind flashed back his last hour in the hospital earlier that morning, remembering the words of his doctor.

_"Now Kai...don't forget...your body is shutting down, so take it extremely easy. If you over do it, there is no telling what would happen to you..."_

Kai's gaze fell to the sidewalk below him through the dark glasses. He knew what would happen, and it was all his fault.

"Hey Kai?" Hilary's soothing voice drew his attention back upward. "What's wrong?"

The blue haired teen sighed slightly. "...nothing...just thinking..."

Hilary didn't buy it one bit, but decided she should leave it alone for the moment.

"You hungry? What am I saying...of course you are! Where do you want to eat?" She smiled, trying to cheer him up.

Kai shrugged his shoulders lifelessly. "How should I know..." He muttered.

"Hmph..." Hilary's face became disgruntled.

"Hey you two! In here!" Mr. Dickinson hollered from down the street.

He was motioning toward another large building, but this one had patio furniture out front.

"Oh! I love this place! Come on!" Hilary grabbed Kai's arm and rushed toward the restaurant.

Mr. Dickinson and the two teens were directed toward a table in the back of the restaurant.

"I've already took the liberty of ordering for us. They should be bringing out quite a few different plates, so I'm sure we'll all find something we will like." The elder explained.

Within five minutes, a couple waiters brought out an array of different dishes. Among the dishes was soup, chicken, spaghetti, and even sushi!

Hilary gasped at the plates of sushi, and immediately dove in.

Kai, however, picked a bowl of soup and some bread, and began eating slowly.

The blue haired teen was the first to get full, and pushed the bowl of soup toward the end of the table.

"All done?" Mr. Dickinson asked.

The teen nodded in reply, giving a faint smile to the elder.

"Oh my gosh!" Hilary suddenly cried out in pure delight.

Another plate was pushed in front of Kai.

"You've got to try these!" Hilary exclaimed, handing the older teen a pair of chopsticks.

Kai fiddled with them for a moment, before successfully picking out a piece of sushi and directing it toward his mouth.

"Well? How do you like it?" Hilary asked, swallowing her food.

"It's certainly very interesting..." Kai said, staring at the plate of inari and California rolls.

"Here! Try this one too!" The brunette offered a different plate to him.

Kai eyed it suspiciously. It looked like some kind of shrimp.

"...alright..."

Slowly, he aimed the chopsticks for it, and grabbed hold of it.

As he was bringing it toward his own plate, the shrimp slipped out from the chopstick's grip, and shot off the table and landed on the floor.

Hilary giggled softly, seeing Kai's well hidden embarrassment.

Suddenly, his face turned grim as a waiter walked by, carrying a platter of meals to another table.

"Oh no..."

The waiter stepped on the shrimp, his foot sliding out from under him as he crumbled to the floor.

The platter fell directly on top of him, soup, salad and various meats spilling out everywhere!

"What the hell happened?" Another waiter shouted, rushing over to help.

Mr. Dickinson turned toward Hilary and Kai, Hilary trying desperately to contain herself from bursting with laughter.

"Everyone full?"

"Hai!"

The group got out from their seats, paid at the front and left as fast as they could.

Once in the safety of Mr. Dickinson's black sedan, Hilary burst out into laughter.

"That was the funniest thing I've seen!"

After a moment, she heard Kai chuckled softly along with her.

She could tell the incident was probably embarrassing for him, but he still found it somewhat funny.

"Next time I'll use the fork!"

The sun had set by the time the black sedan pulled up next to Tyson's dojo.

Kai and Hilary emerged from the back with Mr. Dickinson, and walked through the trellis and into the darkened courtyard.

Hilary picked up her pace and opened the front door while Kai removed his sunglasses, the outside light no longer bothering him.

"Come on in!" She smiled.

Kai eyed her...something was up...and he knew it!

Taking the last step up onto the porch and through the doorway, the lights suddenly snapped on, causing Kai to groan in pain and cover his eyes slightly.

"Welcome back home Kai!" Tyson bounded out from behind a sofa, a big smile on his goofy face.

Both Rei and Max emerged from behind a chair, and gasped softly at the sight of their former captain.

Not only did he look three years older than they last saw him, but he looked incredibly drawn for someone his age.  
His eyes were slightly red and sore, and his body scarred and thin from the years of abuse and malnutrition.

Kai caught their glance for a moment, but quickly turned away.

Rei was the first to step forward, extending his hand to his old friend.

The blue haired teen looked at it for a minute, then looked up at the Chinese teen's face, a genuine smile on his lips.

"Glad to have you back Kai!"

"Heh..." A smirk found its way on the older teen's face as he grabbed the outstretched hand, shaking gently.

"Alright! Now the whole team's back together!" Max bounded over.

"But..." Kai started, but stopped himself as he noticed Hilary approaching with her arms behind her back.

"Kai...we all pitched in and thought of something you might like, and we wanted to get it for you..."

With that, she revealed a small box, wrapped with colorful paper and shinny ribbons.

Kai blinked at it for a moment, not sure what to think just yet.

Looking back at Hilary, he saw she was blushing slightly, yet smiling brightly at him.

"It's a 'Welcome Home' present..." She explained.Kai finally returned her smile and took the gift from her outstretched hands.

Slowly, he began unwrapping it.

Finding the lid, he removed it only to be greeted with a mound of tissue paper.

Getting annoyed, he grabbed the paper and tossed it over his shoulder.

What he saw took him by complete surprise.  
----------  
Muahahaha! Yes...a horrible place to stop!  
But I'm sure most of the people who read this will figure out what it is...I'm very predictable.

Sorry if this was boring...I tried to make it at least a little funny...  
The next chapter might be boring as well, but then the action kicks in once again!

So then...

PLEASE REVIEW!

I'll try to update sooner next time!


	12. Still Apart of the Team

_Hey everybody!_

_Sorry it took me so long to update this story...I was busy writing the later chapters of this story and then when I had to write this one...I wasn't quite sure what to do...so it's mainly a "talking" chapter...with a very OOC Kai I'm sure..._

_But oh well...I could care less right now. I like the later chapters and that's really all that matters to me..._

_So without further delay...here's the next horrible chapter!_

_Thank you for all the WONDERFUL reviews!_

**Chapter 12 - Still Apart of the Team**

Kai gasped at the object inside the box. "It's..."

"We all thought you would like it..." Tyson started.

Wide-eyed, Kai reached in and pulled out a brand new beyblade, it's metallic blue finish shimmering it the natural light.

He looked back over toward his friends, not understanding this act of kindness.

"But...Dranzer ...I can't..."

"Bitbeast or not...you're still a BladeBreaker! The team's nothing without you Kai!"

The blue haired teen closed his eyes and smirked, squeezing his new beyblade tightly.

"Thank you."

"Hey Kai! Why don't you and me have a battle later on?" Tyson proudly showed Dragoon, smiling brightly.

"Heh...sure Tyson...but you better not have gotten any weaker."

Kai's "welcome back" party lasted on into the night. Hilary had left to retrieve a sleeping bag and other necessities to spend the night, and Kai had decided to sit outside and enjoy the stars that he hadn't clearly seen in years.

After a while, he stood up and went inside to see what Tyson, Max and Rei were up to. He found them inside the training area, all seated in a circle and talking.

Kai stopped at the cracked door and listened in silence.

"I'm really glad we were able to get Kai back!" Tyson started.

"Yeah...everyone was so sure that he was dead!" Max replied.

"I was surprised...where ever he was these past years, it has certainly changed him." Rei began.

"Yeah. I always thought that those tattoos were face paint or something...to make him look all tough!"

"Yeah! Who knew that Kai's life was this bad?"

"How did Boris get those on him though? I doubt Kai would've taken it without a fight...did they knock him out?"

"Aw who cares?" Tyson stated. "All that matters is that he's back, and safe."

"But still! Aren't you just a little curious as to why he has those tattoos!" Max exclaimed.

Kai had had enough. He slammed open the door and took a step inside.

"You want to know!" Kai nearly yelled, his eyes dark with frustration. He usually didn't care what was said behind his back, but knowing the truth behind those stripes, he couldn't take the pity from everyone, especially from his team.

"Kai..."

"He marked me this way to intimidate my opponents...each stripe represents a life...I'm a murderer! I took my first life when I was seven...and now I have the blood of eight on my hands! Now do you understand?"

The rest of the team was too shocked to speak...shocked at what their captain had just revealed, and how upset he was. They had never seen him like this before.

"Kai..." Rei stood up, reaching out to him.

"Don't touch me!" He slapped the raven haired teen's hand away from him.

He spun to his right and ran out of the room, the front door slamming soon after.

"Kai!" Tyson yelled after him, getting up to follow.

"No!" Rei stopped him. "Let him go...all we can do now is let him calm down."

Tyson sighed heavily.

"Man...why did this have to happen to him?"  
----------  
_Yeah...sorry this chapter was so bad. The action REALLY kicks up next chapter!_

_Please review!_


	13. Memories With the Rain

_Hey people!_

_I'm updating faster now! Wheee!_

_I hope this chapter is a bit better than the last one, and it has probably a big surprise at the end!_

_Hope ya enjoy!_

_**SPECIAL THANKS:  
**  
**storm-of-insanity** - Sorry about taking so long! I try, really I do...lol. About your question, the fights go on until one can't fight anymore, or dies. Usually they die by an accident (like getting punched in the chest, a rib breaking and puncturing a lung or something)._

_**Lunar Fire** - Thanks! Yeah, I was planning on putting their reactions in, but I got too tired...so they'll be in this chapter...at least somewhat I think. I didn't do a great job with it...Thanks for reminding me though!_

_Thanks for all the wonderful reviews!_  
------------  
**Chapter 13 - Memories With the Rain**

He was gone again...just like that! And this time, it was their fault.

"Kai..."

The BladeBreakers sat in shock at what just happened.

Their captain had lost his patience, and ran out in frustration, leaving everyone else in confusion.

"We should have known better..."

No one knew what it was like for him under the snowy streets of Russia. It had changed him, a change that probably should have never happened.

Tyson slammed his fist on the wooden floor. "Why! Right when I thought things were going to go back to normal!"

"Take it easy Tyson...it's everyone's fault. We should have known better...It was too soon to talk about it." Rei placed a calming hand on the navy haired bladers shoulder.

His heart ached for his captain...his friend. The Chinese teen wanted desperately to take all the pain away, but he wasn't the only one that felt that way.

The whole team wanted to erase everything that had happened. Kai wasn't the only one that wanted to get rid of those cobalt blue stripes.

Max sat in silence. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that Kai got those triangles in the worst possible way. Never did he think that the fierce team leader held that dark of secret.

"What should we do guys?"

Tyson and Max looked to Rei for the answer. He was one of the wisest and always seemed to know what to do.

He opened his mouth after a moment of thinking, but was cut off when the front door opened.

The teens jumped to their feet, hoping that Kai had returned.

Disappointment ran through their hearts and Hilary walked in, carrying a duffle bag and a small umbrella.

"I'm back guys! Looks like it may rain soon..." She looked up at her friends, only to be greeted with sad faces. "What's wrong?"

She looked around. "Where did Kai get to?"

"Kai...he..." Tyson started.

"He ran out...he overheard us talking about him..." Rei finished.

"He what!" Hilary exclaimed, dropping all her stuff.

"We need to find him guys!" Max said.

"I'll say! He shouldn't be running around outside when it's about to rain!" Hilary yelled, throwing on her coat again and picking up her umbrella.  
---  
Kai had ran far from Tyson's dojo. He found himself slowing down to a walk past a park, void of any life and situated on the outskirts of town.

He continued to walk aimlessly until he found himself in an abandoned part of town. He definitely didn't know where he was now, but he could care less right now. He just wanted to escape it all.

The blue haired teen drew in a wheezy breath and looked straight up into the stormy sky.

It was definitely going to rain, but he didn't care. His life was already gone, and if he got a cold, it would all end sooner.

Something rattled in his pocket, and he reached in to find what it was.

To his surprise, he pulled out the beyblade he was given. He stared at it hard for a moment and with the roar of thunder, it began to rain.

"I'm sorry guys, but you really don't need me around..."

Letting the blade drop to the street, he put his head against the brick wall, balancing himself with an arm on each side of him.

_**Flashback** _

"Well done young Kai!"

"What do you mean! I...killed him! I just killed someone!" The child looked down at his hands, scrapped and bloody.

"Indeed. But all you did was end a life that was already dying. His master chose for him to fight, even in his weak state!"

"But he was just a kid...like me!" Crimson eyes glared up into Boris' goggles with an angry fire.

The elder Russian grimaced at the seven year old, a growl erupting from his throat.

"You will get used to it Kai...now, one more job must be done."

He raised a hand, and almost instantly, Kai was flat on his back, being held down by two strong men.

"What are you doing!" He screamed out as Boris approached, a tattooing needle in one hand, and a vial of blue ink in another.

"I will show the world how powerful you are!"

**_End Flashback_**

The screams echoed through Kai's mind. He could still feel the sting of the needle pushing the ink into his skin, and the burn afterwards.

With a frustrated cry, Kai slammed his fist into the brick wall in front of him, scrapping his knuckles badly against its coarse texture.

Suddenly, the sound of clapping penetrated the falling rain and Kai's head snapped violently over his shoulder.

"Well done my young Phoenix...I see your short stay hasn't weakened you as severely as I had thought..."

A throaty gasp escaped Kai as his crimson eyes went wide with fright.

"B...B...Boris!"  
_--------------  
Surprised?_

_Now review! Please?_


	14. New Fight with an Old Enemy

_Hey people! _

Thank you for the great reviews last chapter!

I was trying hard to make this chapter good, but I think I failed...as always.

I was really wanting the final chapters to go a different way, but it wasn't happening, so you all are just going to have to put up with this.

Anyway...here you go.

Enjoy if you can

**Chapter 14 - New Fight With an Old Enemy**

Kai spun around to face his enemy, pressing his back closer against the wall.

A menacing chuckle echoed from Boris as lightning crackled overhead, illuminating the surrounding area. He took a step forward, his heavy boots causing a puddle of rain to splash in every direction.

Kai felt his heart rate increase, and his breath began to come in short, quick gasps.

"But..."

"You thought I had perished when the arena collapsed...didn't you?" A smirk crossed the man's bony face. "You thought your pitiful Dranzer had saved you...am I not correct young Kai?" His gloved hand extended towards the frightened teen.

Kai felt the man's cold hand, and as if snapping out of a trance, he suddenly snarled and slapped the hand away from him.

"Heh heh heh..." Boris chuckled with a sadistic smirk. "Why don't you make this easier for yourself and just come with me?"

"Have you already spent all that money I won for you! Why can't you leave me alone!" Kai shouted over the thunder.

"I'm not about to let my prized possession go...and I won't risk someone else taking you from me."

"Then you might as well kill me now!" Kai's feet slid into a fighting stance, raising his fists in front of him.

"So you wish to challenge your master...how pathetic."

"Kai!" Hilary cried as she scurried through the wet streets, holding her umbrella tightly in her hands.

"I can't believe he ran out in this weather! I hope he found shelter..." She paused to pull her cellphone out. Tyson and Rei were out looking for him too, while Max and Kenny stayed at the dojo. They had all agreed to call if anyone found him. That had yet to happen, and an hour had almost passed.

Lightning thundered away in the sky, starling the brunette suddenly. "...and it _had_ to rain!" She sighed, and continued down the street.

Boris charged and threw a punch out at Kai, who jumped and easily dodged it.

"You're still too slow Boris!" The teen smirked, landing a few feet back.

"Well your reflexes are still in top shape...good!"

Kai growled and glared at his enemy.

"Temper temper my young Kai...no need to get all excited now."

"Oh just shut up Boris!" With an angry cry, the teen jumped out with an onslaught of punches and kicks, hoping to throw his enemy off balance.

His plan worked, as his leg found its way behind Boris' and sent him toppling to the ground.

Suddenly, Boris extended his leg, catching Kai right in the stomach.

The unexpected move caught the blue haired teen by surprise, allowing his enemy to grab his arm and with a fierce kick, send him flying over and into the street.

Kai landed hard on his back. That last move nearly knocked the breath out of him.

He groaned as he sat up. Now in the middle of the street, he watched as Boris stood slowly.

"Surrender my young Phoenix. You don't have a chance against me!"

Kai staggered to his feet, holding his chest in pain. "I'm not going back Boris!" He declared bravely, spitting some blood onto the street.

"Heh...that's what you told me three years ago...on the day that Dranzer left you!"

"Dranzer didn't leave me! She was always there, and you know it!"

The fight was interrupted by the horn of a truck, coasting down from the hill and heading straight for Kai.

The teen jumped up and to the side, landing on top of the cab of the truck.

"What the hell? Are you crazy kid?" The driver yelled, sticking his head out the window.

"Shut up and keep driving!" He glared down at the driver.

"Right..."

"I don't think so!" Boris ran over and grabbed the back of the cargo doors.

Kai peered around the truck and saw that Boris disappeared. "I bet he managed to grab on too...at least this will give me a moment to rest..."

Hilary rushed by another alley, but something caught her eye.

She stopped and stared into the dingy alleyway, and suddenly, something sparkling on the ground.

The brunette walked over to the object and bent down to examine it.

She gasped as she instantly recongnized it. "It's...it's Kai's beyblade!"

Standing up straight she looked down the street. "That means he must have gone this way!"

"Indeed he did." A voice came from the alley.

Hilary nearly leapt out of her skin at the sudden voice.

"Who...who are you!"

A dark figure appeared in the back of the alleyway. It was only about 3 feet tall, like a child.

The shadow proceed forward, until a flash of lightning illuminated its features.

The light revealed a small female child, no older than 6 years old. She had snow white hair that trailed down her back, and fiery red eyes.

Hilary gasped. "You...look familiar." She thought back to when she first met a woman that looked exactly like this child...the woman she met under the streets of Russia. "You...you can't be! Dran...Dranzer!"

The child nodded, a smile appearing on her face.

"I knew it! I knew you couldn't die!"

"True. I was reborn into this form. I managed to follow you to Japan, and tracked down Kai, but when I got here, it was too late."

"What do you mean 'too late?"

"Boris found Master Kai..."

Hilary gasped. "But he was..."

"I thought so too, but he managed to escape death. He is trying to take Master Kai back to the rings again."

"No...he can't!"

"I need your help Hilary..." The child walked closer to her. "You need to help me find him! They went down this way..." She pointed down the street. "But we must hurry!"

The brunette nodded. "Let's go!"  
_---------------------------- _

_Sorry if that was rushed... _

Alright! Only two more chapters left!

Please review!

Stupid won't let me break up certain sections for some reason, so sorry if it's hard to follow


	15. Free At Last

_Hey everyone! _

Thank you for all the reviews last chapter!

Yeah...I agree the fight scene was too short, but in this chapter it continues.

Hopefully it came out alright...

Oh and just to WARN you...you WILL be disappointed by how things turn out...I think.

It wasn't my first choice to finish up the fic this way, but oh well...

Enjoy if you can!

--------------  
**Chapter 15 - Free At Last**

Kai cursed as the truck hit a sunken pothole, and threw him from the top of the cab.

He managed to land on his feet, but his relief was short lived as Boris let go of the door and landed a few feet away from him.

"Heh heh heh...that was some stunt my young Kai."

The blue haired teen's crimson eyes narrowed at the older man as he took one more step closer.

"Now...lets finish what we came here for..."

With that, Boris jumped out at Kai, ready to throw a head on punch.

Kai did a quick backflip and dodged it, and countered with a roundhouse kick.

The older Russian grabbed the teen's leg and threw him back.

Kai cursed but managed to keep his body under control and did a back hand spring and landed on his feet.

Boris growled. "You're fighting at full power..." He looked down at the hand he had caught Kai's last attack with.

The sheer force of the attack had broken two fingers.

"...and you expect me **_not_** to!"

Kai charged at his enemy again, and began a fierce onslaught of punches and kicks.

After a minute, Kai's foot managed to catch underneath Boris' leg and trip him.

Boris let out a surprised yelp as he crashed down on the wet pavement.

Kai quickly followed, turning the older man slightly so that he landed on his chest.

The blue haired teen pulled his enemy's arms around with a sickening crack and dug his knee into the base of his neck.

"I told you...I'm **not** going back!"

"Heh heh..." Boris snickered, trying to squirm out of the teen's powerful hold. "Congratulations my young phoenix...you managed to pin me...but how long can you hold me like this?"

In the blink of an eye, Boris thrust his leg up and managed to hit Kai in the back of the head.

The blow sent the teen flying off his enemy and back onto the sidewalk.

He rolled over a few times before coming to a stop on his stomach.

Kai cursed. His vision was beginning to blur and his head ached.

He turned his head to see Boris get to his feet, popping his right shoulder into place with a frightening smile on his scratched face.

The purpled haired Russian began to limp over to the fallen teen, sure that he had nearly knocked him unconscious.

"You see Kai, I **_always_** get what I want...and no matter how hard you try...I will **always** WIN!"

Kai blinked again, and Boris was right over him, reaching down to pick him off the pavement.

With a gasp, Kai rolled over on his back and brought his legs over his head just as Boris got close enough.

With one last battle cry, the teen did a backward somersault, landing a powerful kick with both feet in Boris' stomach.

Hilary and the chibi Dranzer continued to run down the street, looking for any sign of Kai.

She had called the others and told them where she was heading, and that Kai was in trouble. She hoped that someone would get there in time.

"Don't worry about Master Kai...he can take care of himself until we get there." The child-like voice of Dranzer stated suddenly, as if reading the brunette's mind.

"I know...but I can't help but worry. He wasn't in the best shape to begin with...I just hope..."

Suddenly, a bus flew past them at full speed, sending a puddle of water crashing on the two girls.

Hilary growled. "Just when I thought I couldn't get anymore wet, a jerk has to come speeding by!"

That last kick sent Boris stumbling into the street. "Damn you..." He wiped a trail of blood from his mouth.

Kai rolled over and pushed himself to his knees and panted, trying desperately to regain his breath when suddenly, two bright head lights appeared.

"Watch out!" Kai suddenly cried out over the lightning.

He forced himself slowly to his feet and stumbled over toward the edge of the sidewalk, reaching out to his enemy, but was thrown back as a speeding bus cut him off.

It hydroplaned out of control and hit a street lamp, sending it toppling over onto the pavement.

Kai sat up and shook his head, trying to orient himself with his surroundings. He looked toward the street, and gasped as he saw Boris' motionless body sprawled across the pavement.

"...no...it can't end like this...not this easily..." Kai got to his feet again and limped over to the body.

He stared down at his enemy for a moment, watching as he struggled to breathe.

"What an unfitting end, eh young Kai?" He choked out, blood seeming down his chin. "I suppose you earn yet another stripe."

Kai's crimson eyes went wide. "No Boris! You forced me to murder all those people! Those stripes should be etched on you!"

"People choose their own fate young Kai, just like you are doing now...but I still won't allow my prized possession to walk freely...you're coming to hell with me!"

With that, Boris revealed a thick knife from his coat pocket, and before Kai had any time to react, he grabbed his shirt and pulled him down, plunging the knife deep into his abdomen.

Crimson eyes shot open as a wave of pain racked his body, a pain he had never felt before.

"No Kai!" A familiar voice cried out as the teen stumbled back.

He grasped the handle of the knife and pulled it out, blood pouring onto the wet street below him.

Boris' maniacal laughter echoed throughout the stormy sky as the teen sunk to the ground. Within moments, the laughter began to fade, and soon Boris fell silent.

"Kai!" The voice called again as the injured teen fell backward.

Before he hit the ground, he heard someone slide behind him and catch him.

"Kai! Kai what happened! Oh my God...you're bleeding!"

"Hil...ary?" He asked weakly, looking up into her ruby eyes.

The falling rain mixed with her tears as they poured down her cheeks. "Come on Kai...stay with me." She pressed her hand on his abdomen, trying to stop all the bleeding.

"He's...dead?"

Hilary looked over to Boris' mangled body, and shuddered slightly.

"Yeah...You're finally free Kai."

The elder teen smirked slightly and closed his eyes, exhausted from the fight.

"No Kai...stay awake! You can sleep all you want once we get back home, then we can celebrate!" The brunette sniffed, nuzzling her cheek in his blue hair.

"..but...I just...killed another person..."

Hilary stared at him with confusion written all over her face. "What are you talking about Kai? He tried to kill you! He's the one that forced you to do all those..."

"He didn't...deserve to die like...that...I...I wanted...justice..." He closed his eyes again, gritting his teeth as another wave of pain washed over him.

"Kai..."

"No...he...he..."

"Shh Master Kai...save your breath."

That voice startled him for a moment. He recognized it as a young girl's, but those words she spoke were so familiar.

Stiffly, he managed to turn his head to the left as stared at the small child with pure white hair and fire red eyes.

He gasped. "Dranzer..." His voice was nothing more than a whisper.

The child smiled, and sudden a bright ball of fire surrounded her.

Within seconds, the small human body transformed into a giant phoenix.

"Dran...zer...it is you..." He said weakly, his eyes beginning to close again. "What are you...doing here?"

"I belong with you Master Kai. I promised I would never leave you...I'm just sorry I took so long to find you."

Kai raised his arm slowly and placed his battered hand on the fire bird's head.

"I...swore you were gone..."

"Shh...don't say anymore Master Kai. You must rest."

"I'm...sorry...for doubting you...Dranzer..." Kai heaved a sigh and his arm fell to the pavement.

"Kai?" Hilary shook him gently, fighting back tears.

"He is alright. I was able to give him a little strength when he touched me." She nuzzled his head gently.

"Oh..." Hilary shifted her weight slightly and pulled out the blue beyblade, and placed it in Kai's limp hand. "You should return to him now..."

The phoenix nodded, smiling inwardly.

Suddenly, the bitbeast burst into flames and shot straight up into the sky. The fire turned into a bright red light and shot back down, aimed straight at the beyblade.

Within seconds, the beam hit the blade dead center, engulfing it in a fiery aura.

As the light faded, a picture of the legendary phoenix appeared in the center, and Hilary couldn't help but smile.

"Dranzer's back with you now Kai." She said, looking up toward the sky.

The dark clouds were slowly beginning to part, and the sun appeared, creating a rainbow across the sky.

"...and no one will ever take her away again."  
-------------  
_Alright! Another chapter down...one more to go! _

I know everyone will be disappointed with this chapter...and how Boris finally died...but you're just going to have to deal with it.

The way he originally died was lost when my computer went on the fritz, and I just couldn't remember!

So I apologize for this cruddy chapter.

And this time...I'm not going to go back later and rewrite the way Boris dies...

Anyway...next chapter is the ending!

Please review!


	16. Epilogue

_Oh my gosh...I completely forgot about this story!_

_The last chapter was actually the end, and I'm not sure what I was thinking about doing this chapter...but oh well._

_It's just random jarble, though I do like the last part of it...things are just random in this._

_I didn't go into details with this...and I'm sorry about that. I think that's one of the things that makes this chapter bad, but oh well._

_I'm just glad I've finished another story!_

_----------------------------------------------  
_**Chapter 16 - Epilogue**

The rain had finally stopped, and Kai had been found...but a serious problem still existed.

Their leader was seriously injured, and was fading fast.

"Just calm down everyone...the doctors here are doing everything they can!"

Mr. Dickinson, along with Hilary and the rest of the BladeBreakers were all in a waiting room at the local hospital.

It was now in the early morning, and even though no one had gotten any sleep, Max, Rei, Tyson, Kenny and Hilary didn't feel the slightest bit of fatigue since Kai had run out of the dojo.

"How can you expect us to be calm! We could lose Kai for good this time!" Tyson exclaimed.

"Tyson..." Rei placed his hand on the navy haired teen's shoulder. "He's proven he can survive a lot worse than this...we just have to have faith in him."

"...and this time..."

All eyes were on Hilary now. The brunette had stayed silent ever since they had arrived at the hospital.

"...he has everything to live for now..."

Hours had passed, and still no word about their blue haired captain.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps approach from down the hall.

Everyone jumped to the edge of their seats and stared at the door with anticipation.

All those hours of waiting patiently paid off in that moment as a doctor appeared and walked up to the group.

"Good morning Mr. Dickinson." The doctor took the elder's hand in a friendly shake. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come here and update you on young Kai's condition."

"Don't worry about it doctor, just please tell us what's going on."

The doctor sighed, wiping his forehead with the back of his arm. "Well the surgery went well, but he's lost a significant amount of blood. We also found some internal injuries as well...a fractured rib, bruised lungs...nothing he hasn't survived before, so we're not too worried about that. The knife didn't hit any vital organs either...he's really lucky."

"But he's going to be okay...right?" Max asked.

"It's hard to say at this moment...he's very weak. We should know for sure in the next five hours. I suggest you all go home and get some sleep."

"But..." Tyson started.

"Yes...thank you doctor. We'll be back later then." Mr. Dickinson bowed slightly and turned to leave, the rest of the team reluctantly following him out the door.

---

Everyone was finally able to get some sleep, but it wasn't very restful. Everyone was eager to see Kai again.

The next morning didn't come too soon either. Every moment seemed to tick by at an agonizing pace as they made their way through their dreams.

The phone rang, instantly awaking everyone except Tyson...of course.

Rei managed to scramble out of bed and grab the phone first. "Hello!" He practically yelled into the phone, hoping the other end hadn't hung up yet.

"Uh...good morning Rei." A somewhat startled, yet cheery voice said on the other end.

"Oh! Hey Mr. Dickinson! Sorry about that..." Rei laughed nervously to himself.

"How did everyone sleep last night?"

"How's Kai?" Rei completely disregarded the elder's question.

Hilary, and Max were now standing next to him, waiting for the news.

"Heh..." Mr. Dickinson chuckled softly on the other end. "Well, apparently he has quite the angel watching over him."

Rei gasped. "Does that mean...!"

"It certainly does Rei. I'll send a car to pick you guys up."

----

"KAAAII!" Tyson yelled the minute the BladeBreakers walked through the door of the hospital. He immediately took off at a run in a random direction, but was suddenly pulled back.

"Settle down Tyson! This is a hospital for crying out loud!" Hilary replied as softly as she could, but apparently not softly enough, for even more nurses were glaring at them now.

"Sit down you two!" Rei hissed.

"Where's Mr. D?" Max asked no one in particular. "I thought he'd be waiting for us."

As if on cue, the elder BBA manager walked around the corner. "Good morning everyone!" He smiled brightly at them all. "I was surprised you got here this quickly!"

"Where's Kai! How is he!" Tyson jumped out of his seat and sent an onslaught of questions at the elder.

"You can ask him yourself" Mr. Dickinson smiled again. "He woke up a few minutes ago, but he's still under the effects of pain killers, so please don't annoy him too much."

The team laughed lightly at that statement. Tyson could annoy the daylights out of Kai when he was fully awake. It would only be a matter of time for Kai to blow his top now.

Rei, Max, Tyson, Kenny and Hilary all proceeded to walk out of the waiting room and followed Mr. Dickinson up to the second floor, and to a small room at the end of a long, white hallway.

The elder knocked at the door as a warning, then reached for the handle and opened it.

"Kai?"

Four heads poked into the room.

Kai laid motionless on a bed in the center of the room, hooked up to nearly every machine the hospital had to offer.

The windows were drawn closed, causing the room to be shrouded in a dim light.

"Hey Kai...you awake?" Tyson asked, taking a few steps inside.

"How could I not be...you guys are loud..." A faint whisper replied.

The group let out a slightly embarrassed chuckle.

"Sorry about that Kai...but you know how Tyson is." Hilary smiled as she walked over to the blue haired teen's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Numb." He replied simply, shifting his weight slightly. He slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position, grimacing as the thick layering of bandages prevented his torso from bending in any way.

A small blood stain was still visible around his abdomen, and Kai noticed the squeamish look that ran through the group.

"It stopped bleeding a while ago...they just need to change the bandages."

"Really? That was a pretty nasty stab, wasn't it?" Max sighed in relief. He never liked the sight of blood.

"We thought you'd be in hot water this time!" Tyson added.

"Excuse me...Mr. Dickinson?"

Everyone paused as Kai's doctor entered the room.

"I'll be back later." The elder nodded at Kai and went out to speak with the doctor.

"Is something wrong doctor?"

"No...it's...it's just amazing! When he was last here, I was certain he couldn't survive this long, but now looking at him, it seems his will to live is stronger than ever! He's healing faster than anything I've ever seen!"

Mr. Dickinson smiled. "His life has definitely changed for the better now."

---  
The team spent the rest of the day with their captain, and soon the sun began to set, and Kai's nurse had dropped by for the fifth time to tell them that everyone needed to leave.

"What a grouch!" Tyson glared after her. "She's like Hilary!"

A sharp pain ran through his spine as the brunette whacked him sharply on the top of his head.

Rei intervened just in time before a huge shout-fest exploded for the whole building to hear.

"We'll see you tomorrow Kai!" Max smiled and waved, shoving a pained Tyson out the door.

Rei and Kenny followed, each saying their good-byes. Hilary was the last out, and as she turned around, she noticed Kai staring out into the darkening skies.

"He's gone, you know."

"Yeah..." Kai exhaled softly, as if he had waited all his life to admit it. His gaze fell to his lap. It was hard not to be worried about if he would get through the night without Boris breaking in and kidnapping him, or hurting his friends. "It's just weird...I wanted him stopped, but I didn't want him to die by my own hand..."

Hilary could understand what he meant. He had already taken the life of people, and all the violence had slowly eaten away at his soul. All he wanted was an end to it all.

"But Kai...it wasn't you who..."

"I suppose that was the weakness he was talking about..."

"Don't you dare start to think that! Even though he put you through hell, and made you do all those horrible things...you still wanted to show him mercy. That took true courage...and everyone is proud of you for that...even Dranzer."

"Dranzer..." Kai looked down at his beyblade, its center glowing brightly. He looked back up at the brunette and gave her a soft smile. "Thank you Hilary...for everything."

**fin**  
------------------------------  
_YAY! It's finally over! _

_I noticed how all the "doctor/hospital" scenes in my fics are basically the same...I'll eventually get enough time to write something more realistic. Problem is that I just don't really care to take the time to make it better...and I just don't have the time...sorry_

_Well anyway...thank you for all the WONDERFUL reviews for this story! I'm glad people enjoyed it (at least I hope)_

_Until next time..._


End file.
